


Sunstar Requiem

by Rixel



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Kidfic, Multi, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 17:59:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 64
Words: 133,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11834040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rixel/pseuds/Rixel
Summary: When discovered at the epicenter of the end of the world, the Doctor and Rose pick up an innocent little girl. Then things get weird. Very timey-wimey. You should read if you ever wondered what it wold be like to grow up with the Doctor.





	1. and the world will be reborn in a glory of fire

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story from my fanfiction archives. I am transferring it over to this site. Please let me know what you think. :)

# Sunstar Requiem

_{death is an illusion}_

**France 2046**

At 6:07 am that morning, Rixel woke up with a nightmare. Nightmares were quiet common with her 6 year old overactive imagination, but this one was different. She'd imagined her parents dieing. Not just her parents, though, everyone. Everyone in the lab, in the city, in the whole country. The whole world. And it all started with her parents.

The little girl sat up in her bed. She didn't call out to her parents. That wouldn't be very smart. Sure, she was in the residential section of the lab and the security cameras had been disabled years ago, but she didn't want to take any chances. Shivering from fear, she hugged herself. That dream had been so real. Her mother was working on a project called C-13. Ever since they discovered it three months ago it's been the biggest buzz about the lab. And in her dream, Rixel's mother was able to combine C-13 into an older project of B-47, creating a sort of anti-matter. Of course, anti-matter wasn't real, but this was a dream. The newly labeled C-14 then imploded slightly, which gave off the spark of the Sunstar Virus. Megan Kirii was the first victim.

In her dream, Rixel watched as her mother unknowing passed the virus around to her husband, Richard. Then to Doctor Chris Datell. Who passed it onto the janitor, Michael Spelsbar. Who then spread it to the guard, Francois Peterson, at the front desk. Who brought it home to his family. By this time, Megan was starting to have a headache, but nothing more.

Rixel swung her feet off the bed and crept over towards the door. She didn't hear anyone out in the hall. Not that she should. It was 6 in the morning, but the scientists here never stayed on a 24 hour schedule. With no sunlight to help guide them in the time of day, they usually worked for almost 30 hours before sleeping for 16. It was strange, but it was the habit almost everyone had fallen into. Except little Rixel. No matter how strange life in a lab for a 6 year old was, her parents were very strict on bedtimes for her. She didn't mind too much.

The metal floor was cold under her feet as she walked towards her parents bathroom. The lights came on automatically as she entered. Rixel jumped up on her stool and looked at herself in the mirror. Her red curls were tangled in a sleepy mess around her face. Her blue eyes were puffy and red. Had she been crying in her sleep? Odd. She wiped her cheeks and turned on the faucet.

The thing was, she'd never been upstairs before. Never above the lab. Sure, the scientists all knew about her, but not the guards. No, Rixel's birth had been kept a very strict secret. If anyone ever found out, her parents would lose their life's work. And all the scientists loved her and treated her as if she was their own. She was sheltered and kept, in a way, like a prisoner down here. She didn't mind, that wasn't the point. The point was, if she'd never been outside the lab, how did she know the janitor and guards name in her dream?

Shaking her head, Rixel hopped down and stuck her head out the door. Still no one in the hall. She wished her parents would come down to check on her. Never in her short life did she want her mom so badly.

She hobbled over towards her parents bedroom. After knocking lightly, she entered to find the room empty. She wasn't surprised, really. They were still upstairs in the lab, of that she was sure. Rixel shuddered as the thought of her mother working on C-13 came to mind. Of course she was working on C-13. It was the largest breakthrough they'd had in ages. At least as far back as Rixel could remember.

The little red-headed curled up on her parents bed and flipped on the tv. Though they didn't get any actual channels, there was a database of hundreds of thousands of movies and televisions shows. Rixel loved tv. It was her best friend. While she couldn't actually go outside and play, she could still imagine. And did she ever imagine. She could be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz trapped in the Matrix while fighting off Ursula to gain control of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. That pretty much how her days went.

She flipped through the library of movies and settled on Indiana Jones. Indy could keep her safe from stupid nightmares.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep while young Indy cut his chin with a whip at the foot of her bed, she heard a loud bang.

Rixel sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Instinctively, she looked towards the door. No one came in. She waited for a moment, then laid back down. Just as she did so, there was another loud bang. This one was followed by another one shortly after.

She glanced up at the ceiling. They were several floors below ground in a lab built with the highest technology. Even if someone jumped up and down on the floor above her, she shouldn't be able to hear it. Rixel tilted her head and stared at the ceiling, daring it to make another noise. It answered her with another loud bang. Nothing moved. The ceiling didn't vibrate, it just made the noise.

Rixel jumped off the bed and walked past Indy who was climbing on top of the train. She headed towards the door and opened it, glancing into the hallway. No one was there. Strange. Usually someone was sleeping or something around now. Why didn't they come out to investigate the noise that shouldn't be?

She tip-toed down the cold hallway towards the main stairwell. For being only six, she was small. She could maneuver about halfway up the stairs before the cameras could see her. Doctor Datell swore that she could actually walk all about the upstairs lab since the cameras there were only focused on the actual work and not the room around it, but she never ever took that chance. She loved her parents too much to ruin everything for them.

Sliding up against the wall, Rixel stepped up on the highest stair she dared to go on. From here, she could still see the residential hallway, but she could also see into the lab. Just a little tiny bit, but enough to see at least 5 work stations.

To her surprise, she saw no one.

She licked her lips. Calling out was a very, very bad idea. Instead, she listened.

There was nothing for several minutes. No talking, no shuffling of papers, not even any more bangs. Rixel blinked. It was all very confusing. Where were her parents and the other scientists? They should be here. Just as she was about to give up and go back downstairs, she heard someone walking.

"Oh, we got here too late."

Rixel froze. She didn't recognize that voice. It was all... foreign. A British accent, like Mary Poppins. Sure, they were in France, but all the scientists were American. Well, except Doctor Janet Lopez, but she had a very Spanish accent. Nothing like this. Besides, this was a man's voice. It had to be a guard. Her who body quivered. Guards weren't allowed down in the lab! She had to get back down to her room before she was spotted.

"Oh, blimey Doctor. It looks like a war zone in here!"

Another voice. Female this time. This one had a different accent, too. Very Mary Poppins- ish, but not so formal. In fact, she almost was talking in slang. Rixel liked slang. It was what all the old 2000-ish movies used, or so her dad explained.

She'd heard enough. These two obviously weren't people she knew which meant she needed to run and hide. If they found her, everyone she knew would be in very big trouble. Rixel grabbed the hand rail and slowly started to sneak back downstairs. Her whole body was shaking. She tried to move as carefully and as fast as she could. Never a good combination. As her foot hit the step below her, she slipped and landed on her butt. A small cry of surprise escaped her lips.

"Shh. Did you heard that?"

Rixel's heart sped up as she heard the man talk. This was not good. Not at all! Where were her parents? Why weren't they there to make the guards, who weren't even suppose to be there, go away!

"Hello? Anyone in here?" The female voice wavered down the stairs. Rixel heard footsteps, but she couldn't tell where they were going. Slowly pulling herself back up, she dared to look back up the stairs.

At the top of the steps stood a very tall man she'd never seen before in her life. He had short brown hair and wore a leather jacket. Civilian type clothes Rixel had never seen on a real human being before. He smiled widely at her. Her heart raced and she knew she should run away, but she was frozen. Not even her eyes would dare to blink.

The crazy man at the top of the stairs grinned madly at her. "Why, hello there."


	2. the locket ribbon of fate

**France 2046**

"Who is it, Doctor?"

The tall man was joined by a pretty blond girl who was wearing more make-up than the little red-head had ever seen on someone before. Not even crazy Doctor Connie Kopac wore that much!

"Hi there." The blond crouched down, looking at the now very terrified little girl. "What's your name?"

Rixel bit her lip. She was caught. This was it. No. Maybe there was a way out of it. She could claim to have just snuck in. Yeah. Somehow she was just playing outside and managed to sneak down in here. Sure, it was probably the most secure building in all of France, well, aside from the palace. That didn't matter. She was small and she was smart. She had to think of something.

"It's alright. We won't hurt ya." The blond smiled.

Rixel shook her head. Her foot gained some semblance of motion and she slid down to the neck step. Her back was plastered against the wall and her head was tilted down, but she kept her eyes up. She never took them off the blond and the man.

"Oh, I know you! Rixel Kirii, yeah?" The man's face lite up, like knowing this information made him the genius of the universe. "Daughter of the two scientists that caused all-" His face suddenly fell and he looked behind him. "What time is it?"

"Why?" The blond asked, looking up at him.

Rixel's jaw dropped. He knew her name. NO ONE knew her name. Everyone knew her parents name, well, she liked to think so. After all, the Kirii's were at the forefront of bio-chemistry. They were famous. Not that she really knew for sure, but in her mind, her parents were the greatest in all the world. Then again, her world was filtered through the eyes of a six year old. But – how did he know her name?

The man's face still looked somber. "I don't think she knows what's happened yet."

"It's already over." The blond stood back up. "I mean, look at this place! Doesn't the Sunstar take like, 30 minutes to kill ya?"

"Look at her." The man nodded in Rixel's direction. "She's terrified."

The blond girl looked at Rixel and sighed. "Right, your name's Rixel then, yeah"

Rixel shook her head. She didn't like what was going on. Sunstar? She'd heard that before. Not that she could remember where. It reminded her of a movie or something. Maybe some elusive imaginative game she played before or something.

"Aw, S'right." The blond smiled. "Come here."

"Rose." The man put a hand on her shoulder. He moved forward and sat down on the top step. He looked down at Rixel and smiled big again. "Now, Let's say we have a chat, yeah? I promise I won't hurt you."

Still frozen to the spot, Rixel shook her head. Why couldn't she run away? Every moment she stayed there, she was only killing her parents.

Then it finally hit her. Where she'd heard that name before.

Rixel's knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Her hands covered her face and she rocked forward. No, no, no. It wasn't true. It was a dream, that was all. Just a dream. Her parents weren't-no. No one was. The Sunstar Virus was only a dream. This was just a crazy weird coincidence.

"Oh, don't cry." The blond started to move forward, but the man stopped her.

"Leave her be."

Rixel's mind raced like crazy. She was imagining this. Any minute now, Indy would run to her rescue and whisk her off to safety while they grabbed the sword in the stone to protect the world. Then why was she trembling so much? This couldn't be happening. It was just a dream. She can't see the future, or the present or whatever. It was only a dream. It had to be.

"Your parents were very brave." The man spoke up. His face was sober again. "And I understand you're upset, but really, we should get out of here."

"Why?" The blond asked, slightly nervous.

"The Requiem will be here soon."

"The what?"

Rixel looked up. She'd never heard of this requiem either. Did he mean like Amadeus? That was a fun movie. She liked that.

The man stood back up. "Come with us." He nodded off into the lab. "We'll keep you safe."

Rixel shook her head furiously. No way. She wasn't leaving the lab until her parents told her so. But they were... right? No. It was a dream. She licked her lips. Obviously he knew her name. That was strange, but she had to admit, it was something. Maybe her parents trusted him? Maybe he knew where they were? She then did something she never thought she'd do in her life – she opened her mouth and spoke to a stranger.

"How do you know my name?"

"Ah! She speaks!" The man clapped his hands together, his grin returning. "Of course I know you! You're Rixel Kirii! Saver of the world! Destroyer of the Requiem! Champion of the C-14!"

Rixel blinked. He even knew about C-14? Was it possible he was a new scientist? No, he was wearing street clothes. No one in the lab was allowed to wear them. She shook her head. "That's not me."

"Not yet." He chuckled to himself. "And not if we don't get you out of here before the Requiem gets here. Fantastic! It was us all along, Rose! We're the ones that pull Rixel out!"

"I don't get it." Rose said, confused.

"Of course not, it hasn't happened for you lot, yet." He clapped his hands again, then glanced back down at Rixel. "What do you say then? You comin' with us?"

Rixel shook her head without thinking. No way was she going with a stranger. No matter what he said. She wanted her mommy.

"Rixel," the man sighed. "I know this is all very confusing for you, but I promise this is what's suppose to happen. You parents, Richard and Megan, they wanted this. You need to come with me."

She stared up at him for a moment, then shook her head once more. No way.

He stood still for a moment, then spun around quite suddenly. "Aha!" He ran off to where Rixel couldn't see him.

The blond watched him go, then looked down at Rixel and shrugged. "I know he seems crazy, but I promise he's wonderful."

A moment later, He skidded to halt back in Rixel's view. Dangling from his hand was a small golden locket. Rixel gasped. She'd know that anywhere. It was her mother's locket. She never ever took it off.

"Yeah, see?" He grinned to himself, spinning the locket around. "You mother gave me this. Said you should trust me."

"But Doctor, did you just-"

The man elbowed Rose in the stomach, quieting her.

Rixel rose to her feet and took one step up toward them. Her mother's locket. It was a sign, really. She'd never take it off. And certainly not give it to a guard or something. No, he was right. Her mother did trust him.

But, wait. Something wasn't right here. She paused. "Where's my mom?"

The blond looked away and the man's face went somber again. He sighed. "I promise to tell you. But please, we gotta hurry. Come with us."

Rixel blinked. Sure, all the movies always said not to take candy from strangers. And they also said not to even think about going with strangers. But she'd never met one before. She wasn't sure what qualified as a 'dangerous stranger' or not. This man, though crazy, seemed like he was okay. He seemed almost ...funny. And the girl, well, Rixel couldn't help but like her too. And they both had the same accent as Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins couldn't be bad, right? She was practically perfect in every way.

In the end, the deciding factor won her over - she got to upstairs. Up into the lab, where she'd never been before. And he did say to 'go with them'. Did that mean she would get to leave the lab? Like, go outside? Where there was air and sky and grass and clouds and buildings and everything she'd dreamed of seeing? Yeah, that won her over.

She closed the distance between them and grabbed her mother's locket in her hands. Her tiny little fingers wrapped around the locket and she pulled it close to her chest.

"Right, come on then." The man smiled.

"Doctor, what about the-um-"

The man waived his hand in the air, shushing the blond. He turned his attention back to the little red-headed child. "Now, Rixel. I need you to do me a favor, okay?"

She nodded slightly, still hugging the locket. It was only a dream. Her parents were alive. Maybe they were called off the mission and were outside. They sent this man in to get her. Yeah, that made sense. And her mother gave him her locket so she'd trust him. "You taking me to my parents?"

He paused for a moment. "Yes, in a way."

Rixel's face lit up. Why didn't he just say so in the first place?

"But really, Rixel, look at me." He knelt down and grabbed her shoulders, almost forcing her to look at him. "Do me a huge favor, okay? Close your eyes. The camera's here only react to unknown retinal scanners. If they see your eyes, the alarms will go off and then we'll all be in trouble, okay?"

Hm. Retinal scanners. Sounded like something a lab like this would have. Besides, she was six. She didn't really know if it could be true or not. But he said he would take her to her parents. She believe him. She nodded, then shut her eyes as tight as she could.

"Good." The man's hand was wrapped around hers and started to pull her forward.


	3. the millennium falcon delorean

**France 2046**

She followed along, stepping to the side or taking large jumps when he told her to. In a way, it was kinda fun. Like a game. She imagined he was Robin Hood and the girl was Maid Marian. They were sneaking through the castle, blindfolded, so they could get outside. Only Robin Hood could see, and he had to direct them carefully so they wouldn't get caught. Everyone knew King John would kill them if they were found. So Rixel walked obediently and quietly.

She heard a soft click. Something that she'd never heard before. It sounded metallic. Then there was the sound of a door opening. Strange. She kept her eyes closed though. She wouldn't let King John find her.

The door closed behind her and Robin Hood let go of her hand. She wanted to say something, but the threat of getting caught kept her mouth closed.

She heard something ruffle, and then Maid Marian was speaking a few inches away from her.

"Rixel. I'm going to take off the blindfold now. Please don't be frightened."

Rixel nodded. So they'd escaped the castle, and so soon, too. They hadn't taken but a few steps. Her fantasy wavered a bit as she realized she was finally going to see the lab. To really actually see the place her parents worked at!

There was a soft light, and the blond lifted the blindfold off Rixel's face.

Rixel's jaw dropped.

It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, movie or otherwise. They were standing in a giant dome-like room, bigger than any room she'd ever been in. It was the size of her bedroom, her parents bedroom and several others all in one! It was golden, like the riches of King Midas himself, with coral like spirals around the inside. In the center was a tall aquamarine tube that reminded her of the one from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Poor Augustus wouldn't want to get sucked up that tube!

She smiled, despite herself. All thoughts of her parents left her mind. All she could think about was how amazing this room was. And REAL! It was real! She was really, really here!

Rixel walked forward, tracing her fingers along the railing. The floor was a metal mesh under her bare feet, but she didn't mind. It wasn't nearly as cold as the floor in the residential area.

Something buzzed through her. At first, she thought it was excitement, but then she realized it was more of a golden glow. A welcome of some sort. Like a faded memory of gold and happiness. She didn't know how else to explain it.

"Where are we?" Rixel asked, her eyes still wide.

"The Tardis." The blond beamed. She was still kneeling down behind Rixel. She held her hand out to the girl. "I don't believe we've formally met. I'm Rose Tyler. That's the Doctor."

Rixel looked down at Rose's hand, then back up at her. Shaking hands? He dad said that was an unsanitary practice that was all but abolished almost 20 years ago. She bit her lip. Still, what did she care? She just held the man's ...erm, the Doctor's hand. And these people were taking her to her parents. That reminded her.

"Where are my parents?" Rixel asked.

"Erm, well." Rose looked away.

"On our way to see them." The Doctor's voice came from over by the aquamarine tube thing. He was running around the structure, pulling levers and pushing buttons. He looked funny as he did so, causing a small giggle to escape from Rixel.

"But how?" Rose asked.

"We're in the Tardis." The Doctor looked over at Rose like it was the stupidest question he'd ever heard.

This actually caught Rixel's attention. "What's a Tardis?"

"It's a like a space ship." Rose said, absentmindedly.

"Like the Millennium Falcon?" Rixel asked, her eyes lighting up.

The Doctor laughed. "Yes, exactly like that. But not. And the Delorean, combined. But not really."

"What?" Rose looked between Rixel and the Doctor, obviously confused.

"Space AND time travel!" Rixel gasped. "You really can go into space? And back in time!"

The Doctor stopped running around the center for a moment to throw a sparkling grin towards Rixel. "Yup! Fantastic, isn't it?"

"Wow!" Rixel gasped. Part of her thought it couldn't be true. Really, it absolutely couldn't be true. But she knew better. After all, her parents were studying the sub-particles that could not only provide the cure for cancer but maybe...juuuuuust maybe...give a person eternal life. But that was still something her father said not to tell anyone. Not even the other scientists. SO! If that was possible, why not time travel? After all, her mother always said that Sci-Fi movies were kinda a glimpse into the future.

"Doctor..." Rose stood up and walked up the ramp towards the crazy man who was back to dancing around the tube. Something inside the tube was moving up and down and making a strange hollow sound. "You can't do this. It's not fair to her."

"Relax Rose. This is Rixel Kirii! Fantastic girl, she is." He slams his hand down on a handle and the room around them shakes just the tiniest bit. The hollow sound stopped. "There we are!"

"Where?" Rose asked.

"To see Rixel's parents. Just as promised." He grinned towards Rixel.

The little red-head grinned back. So he wasn't a scary dangerous stranger after all. She knew he couldn't have been. He had her mother's locket, after all.

"But...how?" Rose gasped. "Doctor, we can't! You said that-"

"Oh, Rose. Relax." The Doctor grinned and ran up towards Rixel. "Ready?"

Rixel nodded eagerly, grasping the locket tighter in her hands. She was going outside. Like, for real. Really, really outside! And her parents would be there, too! See? Nothing to worry about.

The Doctor opened the door, and glorious yellow strands of light filtered into the Tardis. Rixel blinked several times. It was a light brighter than any she'd ever seen before. She stepped forward and looked outside.

Under the Tardis, just inches away from her feet, was grass. Green grass. And way above that was a brilliant blue sky. And somewhere in between was a small but familiar looking building.

"My parents house!" Rixel gasped. The familiar yellow house with tan shutters. The roof that hung out over the front door. Even the same red rose bushes up the walkway to the mailbox. She'd only ever seen pictures. Never in her life did she expect to actually see the house.

The little girl's frame startled to tremble as she stepped out onto the lawn of her parents house. She jumped at the squish of the grass below her rising up through her toes. Giggling, she marched in place for a moment. It was soft, but not like her blankets. A different kind of soft.

"Doctor, where are we?" Rose asked.

"Rixel just said." He replied. "At her parents house."

"But, we just saw-"

"Want to go inside?" The Doctor asked, taking a step forward.

Rixel, who was busy running around in place on the grass jumped up and down eagerly. "Yes, yes, yes yes!" She chanted like only a 6 year old could.

"Okay." The Doctor said. "On one condition."

Rixel nodded eagerly, wiggling her toes into the grass. Wow, the sky was really HUGE! It seemed to go on and on forever!

"I have to talk to them first."

Rixel frowned. "But-"

The Doctor held up his finger. "Just a minute or two. Rose here will keep you company."

Rose smiled at Rixel, but her eyes didn't seem to pleased.

Not that Rixel noticed. She was in complete sensory overload. She probably wouldn't even have noticed if Rose had stuck out her tongue at her. After bouncing for a second, she nodded. "Okay."

"Good girl." The Doctor rubbed Rixel's red hair. "I'll be right back."

Rose sighed, kneeling down just outside the Tardis. "Rixel, how old are you?"

"Six." The little girl replied, spinning around in a circle. The blue sky and the green grass blurred together.

"Six?" Rose laughed. "I mean, sure, you're acting like you're six now. But just a minute ago you were almost like an adult."

Rixel had heard that before. He mother always called her the little 30 year old. She guessed it was because all she talked about was movies and science. Bio-chemistry was, after all, her parents passion. And as a little girl, her parent's passions were hers. She wanted to grow up smart like Sherlock Holmes. In order to do that, she had to pay attention and be just the girl her parents wanted her to be.

Except for right now. Right now all she wanted to do was smell the grass and roll around in it while staring at the fluffy white clouds suspended in the sky. She flopped down on the ground and looked up, letting everything spin around her. Man, the sun felt wonderful on her skin. So warm.

Rose sighed once more and stretched her legs out in front of her. "I know this is probably very confusing for you."

"Not really." Rixel said, giggling to herself. "We jumped in a space ship and flew out of the lab to my parents house, where they were obviously escorted to in threat of this so-called 'requiem'. Knowing I was still there, they sent you and the Doctor to come get me."

"See, there you go again." Rose leaned forward. "How does a six year old talk like that?"

Rixel rolled over and smiled at Rose. "By opening my mouth. See? AHHHH!" She opened her mouth as wide as she could.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Stop it, you." She pulled some grass and threw it at Rixel.

Rixel's whole body jumped in excitement. Pulling grass! She reached down and grabbed handfuls of the stuff, ripping it out of the ground. Fistfuls at a time, she chucked the grass towards Rose. Rose immediately retaliated back. Blades of grass flew through the air as the two laughed, rolling on the ground.

"Oi!"

The Doctor's voice came from the front door.

Rixel and Rose stopped, both looking down guiltily.

"You ready to come inside now?" He grinned back at them.

Rixel looked over at Rose, who was smiling back at her.

"Yeah!" They both replied.


	4. tea with the mother hen

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas 2032**

Rixel could hardly contain herself.

She was sitting on a loveseat next to Rose. In front of them was a small coffee table with a treelike decoration painted on it. On top was a tea set, including a big round white tea kettle. The room they were in was painted yellow and trimmed in white. There were pictures of her parents hanging on wall, as well as some paintings Rixel didn't recognize. In the corner was a piano, which she desperately wanted her mother to play. But most of all, right past the coffee table, was the Doctor, sitting on a couch, with two other people. Her parents.

Something seemed off, of that Rixel was sure. Her mother's hair was shorter and her father wore a beard. Her mom seemed a bit worried or upset, and the look in her father's eye was far from the sparkle he had while telling her stories. But no one knows their parents better than a six year old, and these were definitely her parents. No doubt about it.

"So, Rixel. You're safe." Megan spoke up. Her voice cracked.

Rixel bounced in the all too comfy loveseat. "Yup! The Doctor came and got me. Just like you wanted him to."

"Yes. He brought you my locket." Megan replied, nodding towards the locket in Rixel's hand.

Rixel nodded back eagerly.

"I'm...glad you're safe." Her father said. He didn't look like the words meant anything, but Rixel didn't pick up on it. She was still too happy to be in her parents house. And her parents were alive and well and she was outside the lab!

"How come you guys left me?" She asked, fully knowing the answer. It's not like they could risk going to get her. They needed to send someone with a space ship that could get her out without being noticed by the cameras.

"Um." Richard's face grew red. "We didn't have time. We had to leave quickly."

Megan sniffled softly, then covered her face with her hands. Richard pattered her back. "It's okay, Megan."

"What wrong, mommy?" Rixel asked. She stopped bouncing.

"Nothing's wrong." Richard smiled softly at Rixel. "We're just... we didn't think to see you. Again. See you again."

"Of course you did!" Rixel beamed. "That's why you sent the Doctor and Rose!"

Rose groaned next to her.

"Well, we should be off then." The Doctor said, getting to his feet.

"Already?" Rixel frowned.

"Yeah, sorry." Rose jumped up too. "But you enjoy your parents. Love them very much."

"But... but..." Rixel looked between the Doctor and Rose. "What about you?"

"Ah, lots to do. Planets to see. Time to travel 'n all that." The Doctor smiled. "Bye Rixel. Bye Megan, Richard."

Richard tore his eyes away from Megan, who was sniffling still, to look at the Doctor. "You're leaving her...I mean, leaving here? So soon?"

The Doctor nodded. "Oh, loads to see. Wouldn't want to take the poor girl along. After all, what six year old wants to see the stars?" His eyes sparkled as he looked over at Rixel.

"Me!" Rixel jumped up, off the couch. Her eyes darted over towards Megan, pleading. "Oh, mom! Can I, can I, can I?"

Megan lifted her head up. Her eyes were red, but there were no tears on her face. "I-I don't know. So soon? What about-?"

"Don't worry." The Doctor said. "She'll be safe with me. All according to plan."

"Wait, they can come too, right?" Rixel asked, suddenly confused. "Mom and dad?"

"No, honey." Richard said, straightening up. "Your ...mother and I have work to do. It's okay."

"But-" Rixel bit her lip. She guessed it was okay. Her dad said she could go. And it was alright to leave them. After all, she'd seen them everyday of her life. And this was a chance to actually explore the world she'd never really been in before. And space! Not just the world, but SPACE! The thought excited her too much to really think about it. "I can come back and visit, yeah?"

"Of course!" The Doctor clapped his hands. Richard didn't seem too convinced.

"So, she's coming with us?" Rose asked.

"If she wants." The Doctor gleamed.

Rixel nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes! I really do!"

Rose giggled. "Right! More the merrier!" She held her hand out towards Rixel.

Seeing it in movies all her life, Rixel gave Rose her very first high-five.

* * *

"Doctor what?" Rixel asked as they left the house and crossed over towards the Tardis. The goodbye hadn't been very tearful for Rixel. After all, with a space ship she could see her parents anytime she wanted. Her mother, however, didn't seem to be handling the goodbye well at all. It was strange.

"Just the Doctor." He replied.

"Yeah, but, what's your name?" Rixel asked.

Rose laughed. "His name is the Doctor. Just like yours is Rixel."

Rixel scrunched her nose. "You parents sure knew what you had to be when you grew up."

The Doctor grinned. "900 years old and still not a grownup, I think."

Rixel laughed. She didn't know what he meant, but it was funny anyway. Just then she looked up and really noticed the blue police box as the Doctor opened the door to it. "That's your space ship?"

"Yup!" The Doctor opened the door, revealing the familiar golden dome room.

Rixel leaned sideways, looking at just how small the Tardis was. "Wow! Neat!" She bounded inside.


	5. blitz your heart out

**London 1941**

"He's an alien, you know." Rose leaned over and whispered in Rixel's ear.

The two girls were sitting on the small seat next to the Tardis control panel. It was a tight fit, but Rixel was small enough for them both to share the seat. They both watched as the Doctor ran around, pressing buttons and talking to himself. Every once in a while, Rose would tell her what he was doing, but they both knew they were clueless really.

"Really?" The little red-headed girl grinned at Rose. "Like, green men from mars?"

"Oh, don't be silly." Rose laughed. "No, for real an alien. From Gallifrey."

"Really?"

Rose nodded. "Really, really."

"But," Rixel frowned. "He looks human."

"You lot all look Time Lord." The Doctor spoke up without looking over at them.

Rose smiled in a way that made her eyes sparkle. "Yeah, yeah. And two hearts are better than one, I suppose?"

"Of course it is!" This caused the Doctor to look up and glance over at them.

"Two hearts?" Rixel asked. She stuck her tongue out. "That would stretch the ribcage far too much. Not to mention the extra blood pressure. I mean, even if they were equaled out... well, I guess if the beats were slower and it was used as a sort of duel filtration system with one receiving oxygen and the other expelling it. Still, they would have to be like, half the size and-"

"What are you babbling about?" Rose burst out laughing.

Rixel bit her lip. She was used to rambling on to herself or her parents or even whatever current movie she was watching. She liked to think, and thinking out loud helped her feel less alone. It was strange to think of that. Being alone. She was anything but alone now. Even with her parents at home working still, the Doctor and Rose were here. And they weren't going to leave her for endless hour shifts of work. At least, she didn't think they would.

"No, she had a good point." The Doctor said. "Wrong, but good idea."

Rose continued to laugh. "I don't care what you say, there's no way you're only six."

"Am too!" Rixel's face went red. She knew she should take it as a compliment. After all, she wanted to be a grown up. But it always came across as mean to her for some reason. She didn't know why.

Rose rolled her eyes and glanced over at the Doctor. She smiled at him, watching as he moved about the control panel. After a moment she got up and walked over to him. "Where to now?"

He grinned at her. "Anywhere you'd like."

With a soft bang, the Tardis shook, almost sending Rixel flying off her seat.

"What was that?" Rixel cried out. She grabbed onto the edges of the seat to hold herself in place.

"Nothing to worry about." The Doctor said. "But what is that?" He started to run around once more, not paying attention to either of the girls.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

"A metal cylinder! Flying through the time vortex, marked 'dangerous'!" He grinned over at Rose. "You know I can't resist."

She smiled back at him. "Of course you can't."

"Ah! It's jumping out! Hang on!" The Doctor swung around the control panel. The Tardis started to rumble around again, shaking in response to the Doctor's actions.

Watching him was kinda fun, Rixel decided. It was like seeing Star Trek, but in real life. Sure, the ship was different, and they could travel in time. Theoretically. He'd yet to really prove that to her yet, but she believed him. Hm, that made her wonder. Why did she believe him? She shrugged it off. Because her parents did, of course. That's all that mattered to a little girl.

But, she wasn't really a little girl, was she?

That idea threw her off. Of course she was. She might just be a brilliant little girl, but she was still only six years old. Her memories held 4ish years of living, all at the lab. She was raised by her parents and the other scientists. Her loves were movies and ripping apart molecules. Hehe, science was fun. But...science wasn't fun to a six year old. Science was boring. Six year olds didn't enjoy the combining of different atoms to create new substances. They didn't look at calcium with awe and wonder how to use it to change the world. They surely didn't get in space ships and travel around with two people she'd only met moments ago.

Rixel shook the thoughts out of her head. Where did this come from? As if to answer her, she felt that warm golden welcoming feeling once more. Like a dream, fleeting throughout her veins.

The Tardis stopped rocking and Rixel relaxed her grip. "What happened?"

"We've landed." The Doctor bounced out from behind the control panel.

"Where?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "No idea!" He stopped for a moment, then turned to look at Rixel. "I really should warn you. You're going to see lots of things."

"Oh, come on!" Rose laughed, pushing his arm. "She'll be fine! Let's go!"

The Doctor hesitated for a moment, then turned and headed for the door.

Rixel followed behind as the Doctor and Rose walked down the ramp towards the door. He opened it to reveal a dark alleyway. Rixel's mouth opened in awe as they stepped out into the cool night. The air was chilly. Once, she'd turned on cold water in the shower, but other than that she'd never been cold before. Her skin seemed to prickle up at feeling. The other thing that caught her attention was the smell. It wasn't like the air at her parents house. No, here it was all stuffy and kinda smelled bad. Like old banana peels.

"Where are we?" Rose asked again.

"London." The Doctor replied. "Somewhere near that dangerous cylinder. Let's go see if we can find it."

Rixel followed as the Doctor walked down a concrete ramp. The ground was slightly wet. Rixel took a moment to splash in a small puddle and smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to see it rain. Looking up, she saw the sky was dark, but beams of light seemed to travel across it every once in a while. They didn't look like stars.

"What's that?" Rixel asked, pointing to a beam of light.

"Searchlights." The Doctor replied.

"Hm." She didn't really know what that meant, but she guessed it was searching for something.

The Doctor opened a door and all thoughts left Rixel's mind. A sweet melody of a woman singing hit her ears. Music! A song she'd never heard before! Something new! As she followed into the building behind the Doctor, a cloud of smoke hit her nose. She started to cough. What the heck was that? It smelled even worse than when Dr. Datell burned popcorn! She tried to wave the smoke away from her nose, but it was far too strong.

With all the new excitement, she didn't notice Rose wasn't with her.

They walked through a beaded curtain that reminded Rixel of what her mother called a "60's movie" and came into a small lounge. She instantly recognized it's similarity to Indiana Jones. That one where the blonde lady sings while Indy gets poisoned. Great movie.

The Doctor and Rixel stood up against the wall until the woman was done singing. After she stopped, the Doctor quickly jumped up on the stage and grabbed the microphone. His voice sounded different through a microphone, Rixel realized.

"Excuse me." The Doctor said, tapping the microphone for a second. "Have any of you seen anything fall out of the sky? An object perhaps? Recently, within the past few months?"

His voice tapered off as the room started to laugh. Rixel looked around at everyone, confused. Why was that funny? Was it because of Chicken Little? Oh yeah, the sky is falling. It was kind of funny, she guessed.

There was a loud sound that reminded Rixel of scary movies. At the sound, everyone in the room stood up and made their way out the door. It was so loud! She covered her ears. The Doctor groaned and stepped down from the stage. He walked past Rixel and back towards the door.

"What?" Rixel followed after him.

"It's the Blitz." He grumbled back, pushing open the door with one hand.

"The what?" Rixel asked. She'd never heard the term before. The loud scary sound finally stopped.

"London Blitz. 1941." The Doctor said. He stopped in the middle of the alley. "Where's Rose?"

"What's that?" Rixel asked. "Wait, 1941? Are we back in time? Like, really?"

The sound of a phone ringing caught their ears. The Doctor started to run back up to the Tardis and Rixel trailed along behind. Wow. 1941. That was really time travel. That would explain the strange singing lounge and people sitting inside. Well, maybe. For all she knew, those could still exist. It was in that one movie with Amy Adams, right? Where she sang? But it didn't really look like that. And she still didn't know what a Blitz was.

"How is it ringing?" The Doctor said, standing outside the Tardis.

Rixel shrugged. "Phones right, right?" She guessed.

"It's not even connected to anything!" The Doctor leaned around the side of the Tardis.

"Don't answer it."

Rixel and the Doctor turned to see a girl just a bit older than Rixel herself standing a few feet away.

"It can't be ringing!" The Doctor exclaimed back. He opened a panel in the Tardis, revealing a phone that looked very old. Rixel couldn't even think of many movies she'd seen a phone like that in before. "How is it ringing?"

"Trust me. Don't answer it." The girl said back.

Rixel thought about it for a second. There was that one movie where the cell phones turned everybody into zombies. Maybe that's what this was like. If they answered the phone, it would zap their brains and make them hunger for flesh. Or...something like that.

She turned back towards the girl once more, but she was gone. "Where'd she go?" Rixel asked.

The Doctor shrugged, then looked down at the phone. He reached his hand out towards the receiver.

"Wait! Don't!" Rixel tried to grasp at him, but it was too late. The Doctor already held the phone to his head. "Hello?" After a moment, he added "This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?"

Rixel watched as his face grew serious.

"Who is this?" He asked. "Whose speaking?"

He repeated the question again. After another moment, he glanced at the phone piece, then hung it back up.

"Where's Rose?" Rixel asked. She rubbed her hands along her arms like she'd seen in so many movies before. It didn't really work to warm her up.

"Dunno." The Doctor replied.

There was a crash sound from down the ramp, like metal hitting the concrete. The Doctor pushed past Rixel and started running in that direction.

Rixel sighed and followed. After a few steps, she stopped. For some reason, she just noticed her locket was missing. "Oh, hang on. I gotta grab it." Rixel called after the Doctor. She doubted he heard her. Not that it really mattered. She turned back and ran towards the Tardis. She pulled open the door and ran up the ramp. There, glittering in the soft light upon the seat, was her locket. Grinning, Rixel picked it up and turned back towards the door.

Once outside, she looked around for the Doctor. She found him up looking over a fence. When she reached him, he was starting to climb over.

"Wait for me!" Rixel said. The fence was wooden, and didn't really have any place her feet could reach. She struggled for a few moments, trying to claw her way up, but she couldn't do it.

Laughing, the Doctor hopped back down beside her. "Come up. Up you go." He took her hand and swung it over his shoulder as she hopped onto his back. She grabbed around his neck, careful not to choke him. "You good?"

Rixel nodded.

He climbed over the fence. On the other side, he lowered her to the ground, then took her hand and lead her towards the house.

Rixel finally realized they were in a backyard. It was tiny and cramped, but still so much more than she ever had. There was a shed and clothes line and grass and a bike. Oh, a bike! They always said it was hard to learn how to ride, but she could do it in one or two goes. Probably.

They snuck inside the house. Voices echoed down the hall. The Doctor motioned to her to keep quiet, and suddenly Rixel's world was filled with imagination. They were Tin-Tin and Snowy, sneaking into a secret pirate's lair. Yes, she was Snowy in this scenario. Everyone knew it was Snowy that saved the day anyway. They went down the hall to find a dining room filled with children. The kids were all seated around a table. Most of the kids didn't look to be much older than Rixel herself.

"Thanks, miss!"

"Thank you miss."

Her and the Doctor slipped into chairs around the dining room table, miraculously unnoticed. How, she wasn't quite sure. The Doctor grabbed the plate that was being handed around. With a large grin he repeated what the others had been saying. "Thanks, miss!"

The kids all gasped and jolted backwards. The boy next to Rixel even grabbed her hand. He wore a glove with no covering on the finger tips, she noticed.

"Back in your seats!" The older girl said. After a short pause and some quiet grumbling, they did as she said. They didn't look to comfortable, though. "He shouldn't be here either."

"So you lot..." The Doctor said as he poured himself some gravy. "What's your story? Homeless? Living rough?"

The boy that had grabbed Rixel's hand looked over at her. His face frowned and he snatched his hand back. "You don't look like one of us."

"Be nice, Earnie!" The older girl said, glaring at the boy next to Rixel.

"Are you a copper?" One of the other boys asked.

"Copper?" Rixel giggled. Sure, her hair was red and maaaaaybe could be considered a copper kind of color, but calling someone a chemical element was still something she'd never heard before. Not even in movies.

"Of course I'm not a copper. What's a copper gonna do with you lot, anyway?" The Doctor snorted. "Arrest you for starving?"

Everyone around the table laughed but Rixel. She didn't get it. One moment they're talking about copper, the next it's about arresting kids from starving? Maybe copper somehow slowed down the starvation process? No. That wasn't logical. It was metallic. If anything, it would just hurt the poor kids stomach.

Ignoring Rixel's questioning stares, the Doctor continued on. "I make it 1941. You lot shouldn't be in London. You should have been evacuated to the country by now."

"I was." A boy replied, looking down at his plate. "They sent me to a farm."

The rest of the kids muttered around the table in agreement.

Rixel zoned out for a moment. Copper? Homeless kids? That loud horrible scary movie sound? Was this really how things went in the real world? Homeless kids sneaking into people's house to steal food? It broke her heart. She didn't understand why people would do that. Why would they allow real life to be so different than the movies? There were no homeless kids in movies. No copper in forms other than pennies, really. And evacuated? Wasn't that something people did when they were in danger?

Lost in her own thoughts, Rixel spoke up, interrupting the older girl. "Hang on," She said. "I don't get it."

The table all stopped eating and looked at her.

"What don't you get?" The Doctor asked, glancing over at her.

"You sound funny." A boy snickered. The older girl elbows him.

Rixel bit her bottom lip for a moment. She didn't want to sound stupid in front of all these kids. Really, this was the first time she'd even seen other kids in real life. She wanted to impress them, show them how cool she was. She was cool. "I...copper. How does that slow down hunger?"

The kids looked at her like she was crazy. The Doctor, however, smiled gently and patted her leg. He leaned down towards her for a moment. "I'll tell ya later." Sitting back up, he allowed his familiar grin to spread across his face. "Now! I'm looking for a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving."

Rixel frowned as the rest of the kids laughed.

The older girl stands up, obviously upset. "No blondes, no flags. Anything else before you leave?"

"Yes, actually." The Doctor says. He starts to scribble something down on a piece of paper. "Have any of you seen something like this? Would have fallen from the sky about a month ago. Not a bomb. Well, not the usual kind."

After a short pause, but before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the window.

Rixel spun around in her seat to see a boy wearing a strange mask at the window.

"Mummy?" The boy outside asked.

"Who was the last one in?" The older girl panicked.

"Me." One of the boys said, sinking down in his chair.

"Did you close the door?" The older girl looked absolutely terrified, which only confused Rixel more.

The boy frowned, which sent the girl running out into the hallway. The Doctor jumped up and followed her.

Rixel glanced back out the window, but the boy was gone. She turned back to the other kids. They all looked terrified. Scared? Of another little boy? That didn't seem fair. She was about to ask why they were, but the older girl came back into the room.

"Right, everybody out. Across the back garden and under the fence." The older girl said. "Now! Go! Move!"

Rixel watched as the kids scurried out of the room. She didn't understand. Why were they leaving already? Just because that one boy wanted in, too? He was just scared. Rixel hopped off her chair and went out into the hall to find the Doctor. He walked towards the front door, where Rixel could hear the small boy calling out for his mom again.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked.

The older girl pushed past Rixel and threw a shoe at the door. The Doctor spun around to glare at her.

"You mustn't let him touch ya!" She snapped back.

"Why?" The Doctor asked. "What happens if he touches me?"

"He'll make you like him." The girl shuddered.

"And what's he like?"

The girl stepped back. "He's empty."

"Empty?" Rixel repeated. Well, that just wasn't possible. If he was empty, he'd collapse on the ground. There had to be a bone structure to support the weight of the skin. Not to mention, he obviously could walk which mean he had muscles and organs.

The phone next to the door rang. All three of them looked at it.

"It's him." The girl said. "He can make phones ring, he can. Just like with that police box you saw."

The Doctor picked up the phone anyway. Before he can say anything, the older girl snatched it out of his hand and slammed it back down on the receiver. Instead of the phone ringing again, the radio down the hall switched on. The boys voice, calling out for his mom, grew louder and louder. A toy monkey started to smash together cymbals. Rixel covered her ears.

"Stay if you want to." The girl said, then ran out the back door.

The Doctor looked over at the door. The noise stopped, all at once. Rixel slowly lowered her hands from her ears, but her eyes were wide. Was this really normal life?

"Please let me in." The boy cried.

"Doctor, just let him in." Rixel said. As much as the scene had creeped her out, it was still a little child, just like her. She didn't want him to be outside alone.

"Why are those other children frightened of you?" The Doctor asked.

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs." The boy replied.

The Doctor exchanged glances with Rixel. She nodded, and he reached his hand up to the door knob.

"Okay. I'm opening the door now." The Doctor said.

Rixel took a step back. The Doctor's hand reached out and held hers. Then he opened the door.

Nothing was there.

Together, they walked outside, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.


	6. where's my mommy

**London 1941**

"Stay here." The Doctor said. They were standing just outside the Tardis.

"But-" Rixel started.

"No buts!" The Doctor said. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I need you to be safe while I find Rose."

"What happened to that little boy?" Rixel asked.

The Doctor frowned. "I think he's not a real boy. Maybe has something to do with that cylinder we were following."

"He just wants his mom." Rixel replied. The pain of missing her own mom rose up in her throat. And she'd just seen her mom less than an hour ago. Poor boy.

"It's alright." The Doctor pulled Rixel close to him, hugging her tightly. After a moment, he pushed her back. "Now, inside you go. Don't open up the door for anyway but me and Rose, got it?"

She sniffed, but nodded her head.

"Right." The Doctor stood up and ruffled her hair. "Good girl."

Then he left. Rixel was all alone outside the Tardis in the night. She was used to being along, but it just felt wrong now. Where was Rose? She wanted Rose. Or her parents. Yeah, she wanted her mommy, too. She didn't like being alone in such a strange place. She turned and went inside the Tardis.

After what seemed like hours, days and years to the little six year old, she jumped off the chair. That familiar golden buzz raced through her body. Instead of the welcoming feeling it usually has, it carried a thought of warning.

Rixel stuck out her tongue. Sure, she wasn't suppose to leave, but she was so bored! Sitting around and doing nothing? She'd been doing that her entire life! At least the residential hall had movies. Did the Tardis? No. For all she knew, that hallway over in the corner just lead to a rest room or something stupid.

She skipped down the path towards the door. That golden feeling strengthened. She almost felt like her mother was watching her, scolding her not to sneak out. But her mom wasn't here.

"I'm bored!" She yelled out to no one. She folded her arms across her chest and snorted. No, she was going outside. She wouldn't go far, but she'd go outside. No need to stay in here.

The feeling was still there, but it lessened. Rixel nodded, fully convinced and headed down to the door once more. Just as she was about to open the door, she noticed something sitting off to the side. She hadn't noticed it before, but there they were, plain as day. She knelt down and picked up the two small brown objects.

Shoes. Not just any shoes, but kids shoes. She turned them over in her hands. She'd never seen shoes this small before. All the shoes at the lab were really big, made for adults. But these, these were small and for kids. Flopping onto the ground, she stuck her foot inside one of the shoes. It fit! Just like Cinderella! But these weren't glass. Which was good because glass was hard and who wanted to walk around on that all day? Rixel slipped the other shoe on then jumped up to her feet. She wiggled her toes inside and smiled. It felt a bit weird having her feet covered. Still, the concrete outside was rough on her poor little feet. This should help.

She opened the door to the Tardis and went outside. A blast of cold air hit her skin and she shivered. Oh, right. Cold. She didn't like the cold. No way.

"Doctor?" She called out. No reply. She hadn't expected one. She had no idea where he went. Still, there was a whole world out there. She could venture around just the tiniest bit. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing so many more new things.

She walked down the ramp and decided to go back into that lounge building. Maybe that woman was back to singing. That would be fun. She'd like to hear some more singing. She spun around the railing at the bottom of the ramp and found herself standing face to face with the boy with the strange mask.

"Hello." She said, jumping back in surprise.

"Are you my mummy?" He asked.

Rixel frowned. "I don't know where she is, sorry." Really, just looking at him made her miss her own mom. Why were people scared of him? He was just lonely. She knew what that felt like.

"Where's my mummy?"

"I don't know." Rixel repeated. She looked up the alley and towards the building. "Have you tried your house?"

"I'm scared."

"I know." Rixel sighed. She motioned towards the building door. "Let go inside. Maybe someone in there has seen your mom."

"Mummy?"

"Yeah." Rixel said. She stepped carefully around the boy, making sure not to touch him. She couldn't help but be just a little scared. All the other kids were scared of him. She then headed towards the building. After a few steps, she tuned back around to see the boy just staring at her. "Well, come on then."

The boy started walking along beside her. Together, they reached the building. Rixel opened the door and leaned against it with her back to keep it open for him. As she did so, he reached over and grabbed her hand. She flinched, but when she realized nothing happened, she held his hand back. He was, after all, just a scared little boy.

"Come on." Rixel said, slightly pushing him into the building. "What's your name?"

"Mummy?"

She bit her lip to keep from snickering. It wasn't funny. Just because he was so scared that he answered her question in a funny way didn't mean she should laugh. No, this boy was terrified. She remembered how scared she was when the Doctor had shown up at the lab that morning. This was just like that. Kinda. Poor boy.

Inside, the people were still gone. Rixel sighed. That didn't help her at all.

"Mummy?"

Rixel turned and looked back at the door. Holding the boys hand in hers, she started to walk back to it. "I have an idea. Remember that house? Where you came while we were eating? Let's try there. The Doctor might be there. He can help."

The boy didn't answer. He just followed behind her.

Though the fence was too high for them to climb, Rixel found it easy to find the way to the house. The just followed the fence until it turned into the street then walked right up to the front door. It was still open from when her and the Doctor had left it.

"Ouch!" Rixel flinched, pulling her hand away from the boy. On the back of her hand was a strange y-shaped wound. "How?" She looked over at the boy. He looked back at her through his mask. Shaking her head, she took his hand in hers again. She must have scratched it up against the fence somehow when she wasn't paying attention.

The two of them reached the front door of the house and walked in. There was a soft scuffling sound coming from the dining room. Rixel lead the boy down the hall and into the room.

The older girl from before was there. She jumped at the sight of them. Her eyes darted down to the two little kids holding hands and her face went pale. "What are you doing! I told you not to touch 'im!"

"It's fine." Rixel said. "He's just scared. He wants him mom."

"You're one of them now." She said, backing up against the wall. "Just like them! Empty!"

"No." Rixel tried to sound reassuring, but the scar on her hand was starting to throb. "You don't understand. He's just scared. He wants him mom. Why can't he just see her? I wish I had my mom." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She really did miss her mom. Why did she agree to go with the Doctor? She could have stayed home with her parents. The world was still there. She would run around outside and meet the other kids in the neighborhood and gone to school. Why did she come here? She didn't like this place.

"Mummy?" The boy took a step forward.

"Stay away from me." The girl cried. "Jamie, please."

"Jamie?" Rixel looked over at the boy. "You know him?"

"He's my brother." The girl sobbed. "But not anymore. He's just... that's not him!"

"You're brother?" Rixel grumbled angrily. "Take him home! He misses his mom!"

"I-I can't!" The girl was pressed up against the wall.

"Mummy!" The boy cried out, stepping towards her.

"He just want his mommy!" Rixel cried. Tears were now streaming down her face. She really missed her parents. This wasn't fair. Her poor six-year old body started to shake. "I want my mommy."

She heard a crack in her nose, but didn't feel anything. In front of her, the girl's eyes grew wide as the world in front of Rixel clouded over. It was harder to breath. Like there was something in the way. But she didn't think too much about that. All she wanted right now was to go home and see her mom. She missed her mom so much. She was so scared.

Thoughts of her mom consumed her. Her legs were moving, but she wasn't guiding them. All she wanted to do was get home. No more games. No more running around with the Doctor. The locket of her mother burned against her chest under her shirt. She missed her mom so much. All she could picture was her mother wrapping her in a warm hug and snuggling on the couch, telling her everything would be okay. Why couldn't she have that now? It was all she ever wanted. She didn't want to be here. She didn't like here. The dark night with no stars. The cold air that never seemed to stop prickling her skin. The overwhelming feeling of loneliness. She hated it.

She wondered the streets, unsure of where she was going. Maybe if she just thought about her mom enough, her legs would take her there. When she was little, well...littler, she accidentally slipped in the shower and hit her head on the floor. It hurt so bad. She cried and cried so hard. Her mom came in and wrapped her up in a towel, singly softly. They curled up together and watched Totoro. The whole time her mom stroked her hair, telling her it would be okay. The pain was so much she had a hard time watching the movie. Eventually the pain went away though. Mom always made the pain go away. She needed that right now. Where was her mom to take away her pain?

"Rixel?"

She felt her body turn. Her name! Her mom must have found her! "Mommy?"

"Oh, Rixel. I'm sorry."

She reached out, trying to grab onto her mom but there was nothing there.

"Doctor! How can that be-"

"She was suppose to be in the Tardis!"

"Mommy?" Rixel stepped forward, grasping at the air. Why didn't her mom come and give her a hug? Couldn't she see how much pain she was in? She just wanted to be hugged. She needed it.

"Doctor!"

"Captain, secure those gates!"

Rixel stared to cry. She could hear voices, but no one was coming to her. Why didn't her mom come? She always came when she called. Even if she was up in the lab, she always could somehow sense her and come downstairs.

"It's empty. Look at it."

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Rose?"

"I dunno."

"Mommy!" Rixel called out.

"Why is she still in here?"

"She's with us."

"She's one of them!"

"Leave it alone, Jack."

"How do you know that'll hold her?"

"I said, leave it alone!"

"Rose ?" There was a snapping sound, like when Rixel's mom would snap her fingers together to make Rixel's wishes come true.

"Nanogenes!"

"Where's my mommy?" Rixel wanted everyone to just stop talking and get her mom. Why didn't they help her? She struggled, trying to move, but her body wasn't reacting to her commands anymore. She needed her mom. Her mom could fix this. Just like that time she fix the cut on her elbow with the B-11 compound. Healed it in less than a hour.

"What's happening? Doctor, it's changing her! We should-"

"Shh."

"Mommy?" Rixel whispered. She didn't like it being so quiet.

"Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother. She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information. Figure it out!'

Rixel felt a tingling sensation in her hand, where that scar was. It reminded her of the way the B-11 compound healed her. Tears fell from her eyes, but the world was still clouded over. When could she just go home?

"What are you doing?"

"Software patch. Gotta email the upgrade. You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves."

There was a soft stabbing pain in her chest, where the locket was. Rixel collapsed onto the floor. Her hand reached up and grabbed her shirt just above the locket. She took in a deep breath of fresh air. Even the world around her started to uncloud. The dirt below her shimmered until it was clear. Reaching her hand down, she touched the soil. The dirt particles seeped in between her fingers and she felt it. And her hand, it didn't have a scar anymore. Just as if the B-11 compound took care of it.

Two hands grabbed her shoulders and she looked up. Rixel gasped and leaned forward, giving the Doctor a hug. She'd never been so happy to see him in her life.

"Just this once. Everybody lives." The Doctor's voice muffled against Rixel's hair.

"I was so scared." Rixel said.

"I know." He stroked the back of her hair. "I'm so sorry."

"I want to go home."

The Doctor pulled back from the hug and looked down at her. His eyes flickered with concern. "Of course."

"Doctor?" Rose leaned off to the side, waving at Rixel for a moment. "What about this erm, medical transporter thing?"

"Set it to self-destruct, soon as everyone's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line." Rose laughed. She came over and knelt down next to him. "You okay, Rixel?"

Rixel nodded and rubbed the tears out of her eyes with the back of her hand. The locket was burning on her skin, but the relief was too much for her to care. She wasn't alone. She was just fine.

The Doctor got up to his feet and took her hand. Then he reached over and grabbed Rose's hand, too. "Come on, you lot." He grinned.

"What about Jamie?" Rixel asked, looking around for the kid with a funny mask.

"Perfectly fine." The older girl from before was standing next to a boy with blond hair. The boy smiled at her.

Rixel waved at him, but stayed next to the Doctor. Though she was sure he was safe now without his weird mask on, she didn't trust him.

The girl knelt down in front of the boy and gave him a hug. She was looking at the blond boy, but her words weren't meant for him. "Thank you so much, Doctor."

"Aw, you saved everyone, Nancy. Good on ya."

The girl, Nancy, wiped under Jamie's eyes. "You got spots on your skin." She rubbed at them harder. "Guess you got yourself some freckles."

"Just like his mum." Rose smiled.

"No." Nancy shook her head, then shrugged. "I don't. Not that that. Little red freckles. Oh well, nothing to worry about." She stood up again and hugged Jamie. "Thanks again Doctor."

The Doctor squeezed his hand around Rixel. She looked up at him and smiled. He was almost as good as her mom. Almost.

* * *

"You sure you're okay?"

Rixel nodded back in reply. "Just scared."

They were back in the Tardis. The Doctor was running around and pushing buttons while Rose leaned up against the wall and watch. All during his lecture, Rixel couldn't help but watch Rose. The was she looked at the Doctor, it reminded her of the way her mom watched her dad.

"You should have stayed in the Tardis."

"I know." Rixel replied.

"What if I hadn't been able to reverse it? What if you were stuck like that?"

"Oh, leave her be." Rose butted in. "I never stay put either."

"That's different." The Doctor looked up at Rose. "She's just a little girl."

Rixel dropped her head down. She wasn't really just a little kid, but in a way, she was. Especially since she knew nothing out the world. For all she knew, the sky could open up and suck her in without her knowing the proper way to defend herself. No, that couldn't be true. It wasn't in any movie she'd seen.

"I'm taking you home." The Doctor said.

"Doctor." Rose leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You know we can't do that."

"Safer in a time paradox than wondering out on her own." The Doctor grumbled back.

Rixel reached her fingers up and touched the locket around her neck. A few moments ago, going home was all she wanted to do. She had wanted to see her mom and hug her and be told everything was okay. But now? Now she was fine and everything was different. She just wanted to stay with them and see the world in the crazy millennium falcon delorean.

"Doctor." Rose's voice softened. "She's just a kid."

Rixel frowned, looking down at her hand. The locket was hot. Really hot. Like burning her hand hot. She tried to drop it, but it was attached to her skin.

"Ow!" She cried out. Tears welled in her blue eyes as the pain started to sink in. She shook her hand as hard as she could, but the locket stayed in place, burning into her. She started to scream. "Get off, get off, getoffgetoffgetoff!"

"What's wrong?" The Doctor stopped racing around and looked over at her. "Get what off?"

Crying freely, she fell out of the chair she was sitting in and dropped down to her knees. The pain shot up her arm and carried through her entire body. "Doctor!" She screamed, slamming her hand onto the metal mess floor. Nothing she did took the locket off. Why did it burn so much!

Hands gripped her shoulders and she could feel him try and pull the locket out of her hand. The pain was still there, intensifying. Nothing he tried could pull the locket free from her grasp.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled. "Do something!"

There was a buzzing sound with a blue light, but Rixel couldn't see what it was. All she could feel was the pain. The pain and that soft golden feeling of welcome.

The pain finally raced up to her head, blinding her. Rixel closed her eyes. A wave of tears fell down her cheeks. Just as she was sure she'd pass out from the pain, it vanished. Just like that. No warning. No cooling down. Just...done.

Blinking, Rixel tried to look down at her hand. The tears created soft sparks of light as she turned it over between her fingers. It was no longer hot. Just a normal locket sitting in her hands.

"Ah! Rixel!"

Rixel turned her head. That was a strange voice she'd never heard before. Maybe the Doctor had called someone to help? No. He was still right here with her, right? Rays of light went off in every direction. She rubbed her eyes, pushing away the tears. When she opened them, there was an eccentric looking man with a bow tie right in her face.

Rixel squealed and scooted backwards. Looking around, she realized she wasn't in the Tardis anymore. It was partly similar – a yellowish room with big tube-like thing in the center that did have a strange aquamarine glow to it. But this wasn't the Tardis. No way.

That strange golden warmth rose up in her body again. That familiar dream of a welcome that she got when she was in the Tardis.

"Sorry, didn't meant to scare you." The man leaned back onto his legs, looking at her curiously. "It's been a while Rix but..., don't you look young. So very, very young. How old are you, Rixel?"

She stared, mouth gaping open, at this stranger who knew her name. What had just happened? Did the Tardis take them somewhere? No, where was the Doctor? And Rose?

"You alright?" The man asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Who are you?" Rixel growled. "Where's the Doctor?"

He blinked. "That's me. I'm the Doctor. Hello!" He waved at her.

She stared back.

"Eleven." He said, circling his face. "You know me, yeah? We were on the Titanic together."

Rixel shook her head. She tried to move farther back, but there was a railing in the way.

"Okay." He scratched his head. "Where did you last see me then? The Doctor, I mean."

Rixel looked around the room. That same familiar golden buzz. But this wasn't the Tardis. It was completely different. So very much different. Her eyes started to well up with tears again. She wanted the Doctor. Or Rose. Or her mom.

"Oh, no no no." The man with the bow tie leaned forward, but then hesitated before touching her. Instead, he chose to pat the air inches away from her. "It's alright. Don't cry."

"Where am I?" Rixel sniffled. A tear fell down her cheek. She couldn't help it. Once minute she was safe with the Doctor, the next she's in some strange place.

"It's okay. Really." The man frowned. "Where's the last place you saw the Doctor?"

Rixel rubbed her sleeve against her nose. "Right next to me."

"Okay. More specific than that." He smiled faintly. "Where exactly were you?"

"L-London." Rixel said. Her eyes were trying to focus, but it only gave her a headache. "There was a lounge with singing. And the phone. And he answered it, but the girl said he shouldn't. And the scary sound like a horror movie. And nano-something. And a kid with a weird mask. And-and-and-"

The man placed a hand to his chin and frowned. "Nancy and Jamie?"

"Yeah." Rixel sniffled again. "How'd you know?"

"Okay, it's alright. Just relax." He stood up. "You haven't even seen me yet, have you?"

"What?" Rixel asked.

"Nothing." He waived a hand in there air. "So! Rixel! We've just met. You just lost your parents and now you're here. Probably don't even know why." He slammed a hand onto the large golden circle. It reminded her of the Tardis' control panel.

Rixel nodded.

"Then, I'm afraid I have some explaining to do." He frowned. "And you're not going to like it."


	7. lions and tigers and bears

**San Diego, California 2025**

He took her to the zoo.

When he got up and started to move about what she still thought of as the control panel, Rixel couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. She didn't feel like asking, though. Something about him felt so familiar, but she didn't know him. He wasn't a scientist, he wasn't the Doctor and he obviously wasn't Rose. So why did he know her name?

He stopped moving around and leaned up against the control panel in front of her. "Right. Ready?"

Rixel shook her head. "I want my mommy."

"Says the girl from the Blitz." He smiled to himself. After a quick moment, he shook his head. "Come on, now. Let's go outside, shall we? Got a wonderful treat for you, I do."

She wiped her tears once more and got up to her feet. Taking his hand, she allowed herself to follow to the door. It felt so much like the Tardis.

He opened the door to reveal a bright and sunny day. Rixel blinked. No. It was just nighttime a moment ago! What happened? She flinched, standing in place for a moment. The man looked back at her. "You alright?"

She shook her head. She was most definitely not alright. She had no idea where she was or who she was with.

"Come look." The man said, pulling her slightly. "It'll help, I promise."

Rixel took in a deep breath and stepped out into the sunlight. After blinking a few moments, she allowed herself to be turned around.

"See?" He whispered in her ear. "She's just got a different inside. Still the same Tardis, though."

Rixel rubbed her eyes and stared in front of her. It was the same blue box from the Doctor. But...how?

"Come along, Rix." He grabbed her hand and stared walking.

It took most of her strength to turn away from the Tardis. It was, after all, her one and only connection in this crazy thing. That, and the locket in her hand. As they walked, she looked down at her palm. No burn mark. Nothing. It was like the locket hadn't even grown hot. She quickly linked the necklace around her neck and tucked the locket under her shirt.

"Where are we going?" Rixel asked. She didn't want to trust him, but it was like her whole body demanded it.

"To the zoo." He beamed. "I like zoos. All the fuzzy little animals and people just looking at them. Very relaxing."

Rixel walked along side him. Of course. She could see the gates just up in front of her. "But-why?"

"Like I said, very relaxing." He paused for a moment. "We need to have a chat."

"Who are you?" She asked.

"The Doctor."

"No you're not." She shook her head.

"It's a bit confusing. I'll explain once we get inside." He stopped outside the gate to get them tickets, then continued on.

"Polar bear or tigers?" The man asked, looking down at her.

Rixel's heart jumped up into her throat as she realized where they were. Really realized. A zoo! With animals! Real live animals that she'd never seen before! Suddenly, the thought of being her with a strange man in the day when it was suppose to be night with Doctor didn't matter anymore. "Is there elephants? Like Dumbo!"

The man laughed. "Yes there are. And what a wonderful idea."

Three hours later, they finally reached the elephants. It took then so long because of Rixel. Every time she saw any sort of animal, including the pigeons snacking on fallen popcorn, she had to stop.

"Oh look! You can see by the large hind legs that it's muscles are use to push them forward in instead of them pulling with their front legs. And over here! Wow! Wings! Just look at the texture! No wonder they can keep afloat! Oh my gosh! Fishies! Their scales really do reflect the spectrum!"

Surprisingly, the man let her wonder. Every once in a while he'd point out a fact about an animal that she somehow didn't know. It was wonderful. She saw great big bears and wondered why they wouldn't let anyone go in to hug the 'teddys'. The man laughed at this, but didn't explain to her. When she saw the lions, the little red head started to growl, hoping to hear a roar in response. She left disappointed. The whales, however., they were not a disappointment at all. She couldn't believe how big they were! Bigger than the Tardis! Almost as big as the sky! And the way they swim! It was amazing! Just the smallest flick of their tail and they could twist and turn and jump!

By the time they reached the Elephant Odyssey, Rixel's stomach was growling. How long had it been since she'd eaten? She had a few cookies at her parents house, but really nothing substantial. And she never did eat breakfast.

"I'm hungry." Rixel mumbled, sitting down on a bench.

"I bet you are. Poor girl. Don't worry. Let me find you something." He stood up, then looked back at her. He raised his finger to point at her. "Don't move, understand? Just stay right where you are."

Rixel nodded. She pulled the locket out from under her shirt and started to fiddle with it. A large yawn escaped her lips. It had only been a few hours, but she was exhausted. She hadn't run around that much in... well, forever. And such a shock! Sensory overload was an understatement.

Rixel jumped as she heard the loud trumpet noise from behind her. She spun around in her bench and nearly fell off in surprise. There, standing only a few feet away, and behind a fence of course, was an elephant.

It was massive. One of the legs alone was the size of Rixel. It's truck was so long that she doubted she could reach the top even if she jumped really really high. It trumpeted again, sending a soft breeze over by where Rixel was. She smiled as wide as she could. The elephant tossed it's head side to side, letting it's ears flop around.

"That's cool, yeah?" The man said, sitting down next to her. He handed over a hot dog wrapped in foil. "Elephants are cool."

Rixel glanced down at the hot dog and smiled. "Just like in the movies about New York City!" Excited, she unwrapped it and started to eat it. The taste wasn't what she imagined. In fact, it was much worse, but she didn't spit it out. She was too hungry for that.

"Largest land mammals on Earth and just look at them!" He said, gesturing towards the elephants. "Brilliant species! Stomping around and just living life. How grand!"

Rixel took another bite of her hot dog. Eh, it wasn't so bad the second time. "They're my favorite."

"And rightfully so!" He said, bumping his elbow against her shoulder. "They're bright, just like you."

Rixel looked up and grinned at him. For a moment, his eyes flickered. Though she hadn't spent much time with the Doctor, she'd noticed his eyes. And this man, this stranger that had taken her to probably the best place she'll ever go in her entire life, had his eyes.

"You don't look like him." She said, turning her head back to the elephants. "He was shorter than you."

"Yeah, well, I change." He said.

"Like, growing up?"

He shrugged. "In a way."

They sat there in silence as they finished off their hot dogs. Rixel was happy enough to just sit there forever, but she noticed the sky was turning dark. Did places like this close down at night? They seemed to in movies.

"Are we-" Rixel started

"Listen-" The man turned to her. "Sorry, right. Go ahead."

"Are we staying here all night?" Rixel asked.

He shook his head. "They'll probably kick us out soon. But Rixel, we need to talk."

She nodded slightly. "About the Doctor."

"Yeah. About me. And about you. And your parents."

Rixel frowned. "I miss my mom."

"I know." He reached over and pulled her close to him, giving her a sideways hug. "I know so much."

"Can I go home now?"

"Shh, shhh, shh." His arm reached up and he stroked her red curls. "Just listen for a moment."

Rixel yawned, but didn't push him away. He had eyes like the Doctor and flew in what resembled the Tardis. Plus he took her to a zoo. For that, she'd let him talk.

"A long, long, very long time ago, there was this man. He lived on a far away planet with a whole bunch of others just like him."

"Two hearts?" Rixel asked.

He smiled to himself. "Yes. Two hearts. The Time Lords." He patted her head once more and continued talking.

Rixel closed her eyes and listened.

"Now this man, he would travel around in a blue box. A mad mad in a blue box, as they say. Anyway, he traveled around going on all sorts of adventures. Sometimes, others would go along with him, and other times he'd go alone. The people he traveled with never stayed long. Not really when you consider how long he's actually traveled. 900 years. That's a long time. And those he traveled with, other than an occasional exception, didn't have the same lifespan as him. Not that they died, well...no. They just, left. Life happened. They moved on."

He stopped for a moment, watching the elephants. Rixel sighed softly against his chest. She was curled up against him tightly, listening as he spoke.

"And see, Time Lords. We do this funny thing. We've got about 13 lives, like a cat, yeah? Instead of dieing, we can sort of shed out skin and become new people. Well, same person, just new face. New personality. All the same memories. The good and the bad."

Rixel fidgeted slightly under his arm.

"Right, but see, this man. He traveled around with many, many people. Wonderful people, brilliant people. They were fantastic, really. And then one day, he stopped in to see a pair of famous scientists. It was only suppose to be a quick visit. Just say hello and all that, but there was this little girl. This amazing, wonderful, impossible girl. Very little and very scared. The problem was, I-" He stopped talking, looking off into the distance.

"What's wrong?" Rixel mumbled. She took in a deep breath of air. It was so comfortable leaning up against him. She felt like she could fall asleep at any moment.

"Nothing" He shook his head. He took his hand and lightly slipped a finger under the chain of her locket. His hand followed the chair down until the locket was enclosed in his hand. "See, this little girl. She had a locket. And not just any locket. A very special one. Her mother loved her so much that she put the key to everything inside this tiny little locket. The key to save the world, save the human race, and even save the little child." He flipped the locket over in his hand, but didn't open it. "The only problem was, the key wasn't perfect. Not yet, anyway. It was missing something. And when that poor little red-headed girl was exposed to some nanogenes, well, it changed the molecular structure of the key. Changed it into something else all together. And it effected her. Not only that, but then she took this key, with it's new changes, back to the man."

"To the Doctor?" Rixel's voice was soft as she struggled to stay away.

He nodded. "Yes. But the problem was, the Doctor had this blue box. And when the key got inside the blue box with the nanogenes inside it, the key changed again. Violently. And when the Huon energy and the Atron energy mixed with this key, it created this gap in the time space continuum. Just a tiny little crack, but it was big enough to swallow the key and it's wearer whole, sending them flying off into a completely different time and place. Still, the Huon energy kept a link tied to the Tardis, so they key can only appear there. Which really, is quite lucky considering you could end up in the middle of-"

He looked down to find the small red-headed girl was completely asleep against him. He thought about waking her up, then decided against it. After all, she'd just been through so much.


	8. letters in the mailbox

**The Tardis**

The nightmare returned to her. It started out with her mom leaning back from her microscope with wild eyes. This was the discovery of a lifetime. No, more than that. The greatest discovery of all time. The way to cure - to cure everything. All carbon-based life forms. It was perfect.

Megan Kirii glanced over her shoulder and called her husband over. Then they called in Dr. Datell. And then the world ended.

Rixel sat up, sweat dripping down her cheeks. No, not sweat. Tears. She rubbed them away with the back of her hand. After blinking a few times, she realized he had no clue where she was. She was in a bedroom, but it was far different than any bedroom she'd seen before. Rich golden velvet draped along the walls in the octagon shaped room. The ceiling was covered in wooden beams with birds painted all over them. The bed she was in was covered in super thick comforters that she sunk into. Dozens of pillows of all shapes and sizes were thrown about her. The carpet on the floor swirled into a pattern that matched the ceiling. At the foot of the bed was a bench with a cushion that she'd have to jump to reach it. On top of the cushion was a small dress she'd never seen before.

Rixel rolled over and looked off the side of the bed. There was a small two-step ladder since the bed was so high off the ground. She was still in the same clothes she had on before, but the shoes were gone. Looking around the room, she didn't see them. Too bad. She kinda liked shoes.

She got down off the bed and walked around the room. There was a desk cluttered with jewelry boxes and flowers and even a candy box. Next to the desk was a giant mirror that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. Rixel stopped in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Her red curls were a mess. She didn't know if that was because she just woke up if if they had been that way since the morning before. Her tiny arms reached up in the air, stretching. Her shirt, which was actually a large shirt of her dad's that had been poorly cut and sewn to fit her, lifted up and exposed her thin stomach. At this sight, her stomach growled. When had she last eaten? Other than the hot dog, she didn't eat at all the day before. Was it only a day? She couldn't remember. So much had happened. Her head felt kinda heavy.

Rixel continued looking around the room. There was a dresser, that upon opening it, she discovered was full of clothes just her size. In the corner was a comfy looking chair covered in a fabric that matched the curtains. Next to the chair was a tall leafy plant. Above the bed on the wall was a big painting of a castle with a huge hedge maze in front of it. The room was amazing and had everything. Well, almost everything. It was missing a television.

Rixel picked up the dress that was at the foot of her bed. It was a dark black velvet dress with white cotton sleeves. The dress had red flowers sewn into the lower part, and the same red was used to cross in a tie up top. Next to the dress were a pair of knee-high red socks and yes – shoes! Little black shiny Mary Janes. Rixel squealed in delight and gathered the clothes together. She looked over and found a door slightly cracked open. Inside was a tiny little bathroom. Even the sink was lower so she could reach without jumping on a box. There was a round claw-footed tub with gold and red towels hanging off to the side. It was like it was built specifically for her.

After she'd taken a bath and finished getting ready, Rixel ran out of the bathroom and bounced in front of the big mirror. Wow. She's never seen herself like this before. Her red curls fell upon the perfectly tailored dress. Her skin seemed so pale against the black velvet, but other than that, she thought she looked like a princess. All she needed now was a crown. She looked over at the jewelry box on the desk, half expecting one to be there. Instead, her mother's locket caught her eye. With a smile, she picked it up and threw it around her neck. There. Now she was ready.

As she left the room, the nightmare had completely left her head.

Outside the room, she found that she was in some amazingly large building. It wasn't a house as she originally thought, but something far more complex. She worried that she would get lost, but somehow she felt like she was going the right way. To her surprise, she ended up in what looked like the room that looked like the new Tardis from the night before. The man with the bowtie was leaning up against a railing, tapping blue envelopes against his chin. He straightened up and smiled at the sight of her.

"Rixel!" He beamed. "Oh, come here you!"

She smiled. Why, she didn't know. He didn't look like the Doctor. He didn't sound like him and this didn't even look like the real Tardis. But something was just...right. It felt like him. It felt like the Tardis. And after only a day, it felt like home. She ran over to him and he gave her a big hug.

"So you believe me then?" He asked, putting her back down.

She shrugged. "Not sure yet. But you did get me this pretty dress. And whose room was that?"

"What room? No, I didn't." He smiled. "The Tardis did that. She likes you."

"The Tardis is a ship." Rixel replied.

"Oh, Rixel, Rixel Rixel! She's so much more than that!" He spun around in a circle, flipping a switch on the control panel. "Always remember that. She is so, very much more than that."

"Okay?" Rixel didn't seem convinced.

"Come on." He started to walk towards the door.

"Where are we?"

He smiled at her over his shoulder. "No where special. Just need to mail these real quick. You coming?"

Excited to see the outside again, Rixel followed after. Her hand reached up and grabbed his, holding on tight. The man looked down at her and smiled.

Outside, the sky was bright. There were fluffy white clouds stretched above them. The air smelled like mixture of what Rixel figured out was flowers and car exhaust. The combination of two completely original smells put her in a great mood. That, and walking to the mailbox took them forever since she kept seeing new things. She had to stop at every store window and look at the displays. Manaquins, miniature trains and hundreds of thousands of books sent her flying from place to place. The man simply laughed and followed along.

"I can't believe how amazing everything is!"

"This? Oh, forget this. Wait till you see other planets." The man replied.

Rixel's eyes brightened at a thought. "Can we go to Disneyland!"

"Disneyland?" He stuck out his tongue. "Boring. All the pirates are fake and the rides aren't even life-threatening. If you want action, we have to go to Disney Planet. Very 51st century."

"Wow." Rixel gasped.

The man opened the mailbox and slipped the blue envelopes inside.

"What are those?" Rixel asked.

"Invitations."

"To a party? Can I come?" Rixel asked.

He smiled at her. "You do come, as I recall."

"Really?" She bounced on her toes. "Yay! Is there a pony ride? They always have those in movies and Id love to see a pony! I hear they are so soft!"

The man laughed and ruffled her hair. "Oh Rixel. No ponies, but I promise it'll be a bang."

She popped her bottom lip out for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

The two of them headed back to the Tardis. Rixel talked a mile a minute, stopping at every window again just to see the new things. She pointed at random people walking past them, commenting on how amazing their clothes or hair was. She was so excited, she didn't even notice when the man stopped just outside the Tardis until they'd been standing there almost a full minute.

"Are you okay?" She looked up at him.

He dropped down to his knee beside her. Grabbing her shoulders, he placed a kiss on her forehead, then pressed his own forehead against hers. "You're going to leave me, arn't you?"

"I thought you were the Doctor?" Rixel asked. She still wasn't really really sure, but he did seem to have that familiar feeling. And he was nice to her. And this Tardis did look the same on the outside. There was no way more than one blue police box that was bigger on the inside existed.

He breathed out a small laugh, closing his eyes. "I am. Oh, I am. But sometimes that's not enough."

"Then I'm staying." She nodded proudly. "I told my mom I'd stay with the Doctor."

His eyes opened, but they were much darker than they had been. "I'm so sorry, Rixel."

"Why?" She asked. Her small hand reached up and tugged at his bow tie. It was quite funny looking. She liked it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for everything." He leaned forward, pulling her into a tight hug.

She smiled, gagging comically as he squeezed her. When he pulled back, she could have sworn his eyes looked slightly red. "Why are you sad?"

"I'm not." He said, standing back up. "You'll stay with me forever."

She nodded. "Sure. Why not?" Her idea of forever was for several years until she returned home. To her, that seemed like forever. And she could still visit her parents all the time. It was really a great thing.

He nodded, then opened the door to the Tardis.

Rixel ran up the to the control panel; the familiar golden buzz of welcome ran through her veins. She jumped up onto the seat. Her short legs swung forward and back, unable to hit the floor. "So, where to?"

He watched her carefully for a moment. His eyes lingered and he looked her over head to toe. "You're okay?"

She laughed. "Of course!"

"No pain or anything?"

"Why would I be in pain?" She giggled. "I'm fine!"

"Okay." He hesitated for a moment longer, then turned towards the Tardis control panel. He moved slowly at first, eying Rixel carefully. Eventually, he started to ease up. Before she knew it, he was dancing around in the familiar pattern and hitting buttons and levers.

"Where are we going?" She asked, excited.

"Oh, who knows! The Tardis is a smart girl. Let's let her decide, yeah?"

"Okay." Rixel shrugged, not really sure what he meant. It's not like a ship could think for itself. She was going to say as much went she felt a strange burning on her chest. While the man she was pretty sure was the Doctor danced around the control panel, she reached down and touched her locket. It was burning hot, just like before. Biting her lip, she went to drop it, but it stayed stuck to her hand. The pain raced up into her fingers and through her arm.

"Doctor!" She cried. Tears instantly filled her eyes. She felt him come over to her, hugging her tightly.

"No, no, not yet. Please, not yet. Just a little while longer. Please." He begged.

She didn't understand. All she knew was that her whole body seemed to be engulfed in a fiery pain. She tried to shake the locket off her fingers, but it was stuck again. Nothing she did would stop the pain.


	9. girl in the fireplace

**The Madame de Pompadour, 51st century**

And then it stopped. All on it's own, as if it had never happened. She opened her eyes, expecting to be greeted by the Doctor's warm smile. Instead, she saw Rose leaning up against the Tardis wall. The REAL Tardis wall! She was back in the Tardis! Well, the original Tardis? She wasn't sure. It felt the same, but looked different. Either way, she felt completely safe.

"Rose!" Rixel gasped. All thoughts of the necklace left her mind.

"Rixel!" Rose's eyes widened when she finally noticed the girl. She took half a step away from the girl, looking her over. "How...how are you?"

Rixel wanted to run over and give her a hug, but Rose looked almost...scared of her? But why? Why would she be scared? Was it because she went to the other Tardis? "I didn't mean to leave before!" She explained. "It just happened. I don't know why! The guy...the guy with the bow tie, he said it was the Huon energy and something and-"

"What other guy?" Rose asked.

"You know. The other Doctor guy."

"Someone say my name? Hello!" A man walked into the room. He smiled at the site of the little red-headed girl. "Rixel! How are you?"

Rixel ran over to Rose and hid behind her leg. She had no idea who this man was.

Rose flinched slightly as Rixel's touch. "What's wrong? It's just the Doctor."

"Mm." The Doctor frowned. "How long did she say? Did she see me change?"

"Hang on." Rose knelt down to look Rixel in the eyes. "You're young, you are. How old are you, Rixel?"

Rixel stole a glance at the other man, then looked back at Rose. "Six. I just told you yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Rose laughed. "Oh, Rix, I haven't seen little 6 year old you in while." She gave the girl a hug. "You alright?"

Rixel nodded. "Whose that guy?" She whispered.

Rose laughed again. "That's the Doctor!" She leaned back to Rixel could get a better look at him. "If you know me, you should know him."

"He doesn't look like the Doctor." Rixel said. Neither Doctor.

"He changed his face." Rose grinned at her. "Pretty crazy, right?"

Rixel thought about it for a moment. "That's why you were different just now?"

The Doctor exchanged glances with Rose. "Just now?"

"Yeah." Rixel said. "You had a bow tie. Took me to the zoo. Then we mailed letters."

He raised an eyebrow. "A bow tie? Well, that wasn't me."

Rose stood up. "A later you, maybe?"

He shrugged. "Must be."

"What do you mean, later you?" Rixel asked. She shook her head. "No, it was just a second ago. The Doctor was standing right here and I burned myself and-" She stopped and looked down at her locket. It was cool to the touch. Nothing wrong with it now.

"Whose that?" Another man walked into the room.

Rixel's head started to spin. "Another Doctor?"

Rose laughed so hard she snorted. "Naw, that's just Mickey."

"Just Mickey?" The man relied.

"Right! Who wants to go outside and see what's there?" The Doctor cut in.

"Oh!" Rose straightened up.

Rixel, thoroughly confused, followed as the group exited the Tardis. So, that one was the Doctor, but not the other. And the man with the bow tie was one, but later. So what about the one she met first? In London? It was very confusing. Then again...time travel. Marty McFly met his own mother. And then he almost met himself in the past. Very dangerous. Can't do that. She made a mental note NOT to run into herself. If she could mange.

Outside the Tardis was not outside. Rixel frowned.

"Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster. You're a long way from home, Mickey." The Doctor said. "Two and a half galaxies!"

"Mickey Smith, meet the universe." Rose added.

Rixel looked around. While Mickey seemed to be excited and gawking at everything, she was disappointed. Sure, it was new and shiny and obviously a space ship of some kind, but it wasn't outside. The only space ship she liked was the Tardis. Nothing could compare to that. This place looked, well, trashy. And boring. Very boring.

"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asked.

"Probably left to go someplace better." Rixel picked up some small metallic bowl shaped thing. She turned it over in her hand than put it back down.

"Can you smell that?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah! Someone's cooking!" Rose replied.

Rixel sniffed the air. Smelled like meat loaf day. Her stomach rumbled again. What she wouldn't do for a hot dog right now.

Rixel watched as the Doctor scoured the controls and pushed some buttons. She decided she liked him. He wasn't as funny looking (in a good way) as the Doctor she just left. And he certainly didn't have the big grin like the Doctor who rescued her did. But he was soft looking. Like a teddy bear. Yeah, he would be okay. After all, he was the Doctor. Rose confirmed that.

"Well there's something you don't see in your average spaceship." The Doctor ran off though a door that opened with his button-pushing. "Eighteen century! French! Nice mantel."

Rixel bounced over to him and peeked out from behind the Doctor's legs. Sure enough, up against the wall was a giant mantelpiece with a fire roaring inside. It reminded her of something from a castle. It would match the bedroom she'd woken up in that morning.

"Not a hologram. Not even a reproduction." The Doctor furrowed his brow. "This actually is an eighteenth century fireplace. Double-sided. There's another room through there."

Rixel looked through the fireplace to see a girl her age standing on the other side. At first she thought it was a mirror, but then the other girl waved.

"Hello." The girl sounded confused.

"Hi." Rixel waived back. She noticed the girl was speaking in French and replied back in the same language.

The Doctor leaned over and smiled at the girl. "Hello! What's your name?"

"Reinette."

"That's a lovely name." The Doctor replied. "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom."

"Doctor. There's a window here. That fireplace can only go outside the ship." Rose said.

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?" The Doctor ignored Rose.

"Paris, of course!" The girl blinked.

"Hey! In France!" Rixel grinned. "I'm from there!"

"You have a very strange accent." The girl looked over at Rixel.

"Can you tell me what year it is?" The Doctor asked.

"Of course I can! Seventeen hundred and twenty seven."

"1727?" Rixel looked over at the Doctor. "I thought you said 51st century?"

"Thanks for your help!" The Doctor waved at Reinette then stood back up. "Hm. This ship is also generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink."

"A what?" Rixel smirked. The name sounded funny.

"Nothing." The Doctor ruffled Rixel's hair. "Just made it up. Didn't want to say 'magic door'."

"So, it's a magic door that leads to 1727 France?" Rose asked.

"Well, she was speaking French. Right period, too." The Doctor said.

"She was speaking English! I heard her!" Mickey pipped up.

Rixel frowned. No, the girl spoke French. Rixel knew it because she knew French very well and the girls accent was a bit strange and didn't sound exactly like the French she knew.

Rose wrapped her arm around Mickey with a knowing smile. "It's the Tardis. She translates for ya."

"Even French?" Mickey gasped.

The Doctor looked down at Rixel and winked. "You know French, do ya?"

Rixel nodded. "And Italian. And German. And a bit of Russian."

"Smart girl." He grinned at her, then pushed something on the fireplace mantel. "Here we go!"

Rixel grabbed onto his leg as the fireplace started to turn, sending them to what should be the outside of the ship.

"Doctor!" Rose called out after them.

But Rose wasn't there long. Rixel found herself gripping onto the Doctor in a very dark bedroom that reminded Rixel very much of the room she'd just woken up in. This one was a bit bigger and the decorations weren't as nice, but it was still very fancy. The two of them walked over to one of the oversized windows. Rixel gasped. The silhouette of the Paris skyline reflected back into her eyes. Above the skyline was a great big beautiful moon that illuminated the dark bedroom. It was amazing! And yeah, the moon kinda did look like cheese.

"It's okay! Don't scream! It's us, from the fireplace! Look!"

Rixel turned around to see the Doctor talking to someone in bed. There was a buzzing sound and a blue glow, then a candle lit up on the nighttable.

"We were talking, just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." The Doctor said, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Monsieur, that was weeks ago. That was months!" Reinette replied. She was sitting up in her bed, but didn't look surprised at all.

"No, it was just a second ago." Rixel frowned. "We waved."

"Who are you?" Reinette asked. "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm Rixel. And that's the Doctor." She said, motioning to him. "I think."

"You think?"

"Rixel, come over here." The Doctor interrupted.

"Okay." She walked over towards him, suspiciously. She hoped he wasn't upset that she second guessed him.

He picked her up and placed her on the bed, next to Reinette. He whispered to them. "Just...stay here, okay? You two stay on the bed, right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge."

"Doctor-" Rixel's voice wavered.

"Shhh." He covered her mouth with his hand. A moment later he pulled away and stood up. He ducked down, looking under the bed.

Rixel and Reinette stared at each other. Fear echoes between their eyes. What was worse then telling too little girls not to move in the dark while someone checks under their bed?

The Doctor stood back up and the girls looked at him. His face was blank. "Girls, don't look 'round. Just stay right there."

Rixel's hand slowly inched forward and grabbed Reinette's. She didn't like the way he was talking. Something was right behind them, wasn't it? Something was right there behind them and it was going to eat them. The Doctor reached down and grabbed both their hands in his. He knelt down and looked at Rixel, then over at Reinette.

"You've been scanning her brain!" He called out a moment later. "What, you crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

Reinette and Rixel both turn around and stare at the thing behind them. Rixel felt her hand squeezed harder, but she didn't dare take her eyes of the strange thing in the room. It wasn't a monster like she feared, but a man in a strange mask. It was a beautiful mask, really. Feathers and glitter and a plastered smile. Very french.

"You want me?" Reinette asked.

"You are incomplete." The thing replied in a mechanical voice.

"'Incomplete'? What's that mean?" The Doctor replied angrily. He got up and wondered over next to the robot thing. In retaliation, it's arm swiped out with a blade. It swiped at the Doctor, who jumped back.

"Be careful!" Rixel and Reinette said at the same time.

"It's okay, Reinette. Just a nightmare. Don't worry about it." He smiled, taking another step back as the machine advanced towards him. "Rixel, I think it's time we get out."

Rixel looked over at Reinette. It didn't seem fair to just leave the girl here. She smiled at her. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

Rixel jumped off the bed and ran over towards the Doctor, making sure to slip around the machines swings. It swung once more, the blade landing in the mantle place and getting stuck. Rixel grabbed onto the Doctor's leg again and closed her eyes. A moment later, the Doctor tore away from her. She opened her eyes to find they were back on the boring ship again. She stepped away just as the Doctor came and pointed a gun at the robot.

"Doctor!" Rose beamed as she saw them.

The gun sprayed out a stream of ice on the machine, freezing it. He then tossed the gun to Rose and gave her a wink. Rose looked down at the gun in her hand, then back at the robot. "What's that?"

"Mickey, go take Rixel for a walk, yeah?"

"A walk?" Rixel scoffed. "I'm not a dog."

"Of course not." The Doctor said, not even looking at her. "But if this thing decides to spring back to life I need you out of the way."

"But-"

"No buts!" He wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. The Doctor pulled the mask off the robot to reveal a golden menagerie of gears. "Oh, you are beautiful!"

"Come on." Mickey grabbed Rixel hand and tugged her.

"But!" Rixel tried once more.

Mickey scoffed. "I know. I know."

* * *

The two of them walked down a strange hall that gave Rixel the creeps. It wasn't pretty in here at all. And it smelled funny. Like meat loaf day but much more intense. There was a window on the wall that looked out into what appeared to be another French room.

Rixel grumbled. "I want to go back to Reinette."

"Yeah, well apparently what the Doctor says, goes." Mickey grumbled right back.

"Who are you, anyway?" Rixel asked. "I mean, why are you with the Doctor? You don't seem to like him much."

"I'm with Rose. Not him."

"Like, Rose's boyfriend?"

Mickey didn't reply. His hand holding hers stiffened though. She took that as a sign not to ask anymore questions about Rose.

"Have you been to lots of planets and stuff?"

"No." Mickey said. "First trip."

"Ah." Rixel replied.

"You?"

"Um, not really." She sighed. "Things are just weird."

"Yeah. Things are always weird with the Doctor. So I'm told."

Another window looking into France came up in front of them. This time Rixel stopped, taking a moment to look. The room was decorated like Reinette's bedroom. There was a large double door in the background. After a moment, a man walked into the room and walked right up to the window. Rixel flinched afraid he'd see them. Instead, he seemed to be messing with his hair. "A mirror?"

"Looks like it." Mickey laughed to himself. "Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?"

"King of France."

Rixel turned to see the Doctor and Rose standing behind them. She smiled at them.

"I found trouble." Rose said, elbowing the Doctor.

"Found?" Mickey asked. "You were just with him."

"Whatever." Rose laughed. "We left you nearly an hour ago."

"An hour?" Rixel shook her head. Rose, Mickey and Rixel all looked towards the Doctor.

"Yeah, time's a bit weird here." The Doctor said. He was concentrating on the window mirror. His hand rubbed across his face. "Time window. Deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?"

"Woman? I thought they were after Reniette?" Rixel asked.

"Jeanne-Antionette Poisson." The Doctor said. "One of the most accomplished women who ever lived. She's no longer a kid. See for yourself."

Rixel looked back through the window as an older girl stepped into the room. She looked a lot like Reinette, but obviously older. Rixel sighed. She'd lost her chance of hanging out with another girl her age.

The Doctor's eyes flicked off to the side of the room, then down to Rixel. He grabbed her hand. "Rose, Mickey, go back and get that ice gun."

"Why?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, come on." Rose laughed, pulling Mickey away.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked after they left.

Rixel nodded.

He pushed through the window and the pair of them jumped into the room. "Hello, Reinette. Hasn't time flown?"

Reinette turned towards them and gasped. Before she could reply, the Doctor pushed passed her, switching Rixel's hand over to her. He then advanced towards the corner of the room where one of the robots burst out from behind a curtain. Reinette, surprised, pushed Rixel behind her protectively. The Doctor ducked as the robot swung at him. He then pulled out the ice gun and froze the machine.

"I thought you told Mickey to get the ice gun!" Rixel said, glancing from around Reinette's giant dress.

"I lied." He grin, flipped the gun over in his hand.

"Fireplace Man." Reinette grinned. "And...Rixel?"

Rixel looked up at her and grinned.

"Why, you have not even aged a day!"

She shrugged. "It's complicated." She replied, trying to sound as smart as the Doctor.

The machine started to whir, moving slightly. Rixel ducked back behind Reinette's dress.

"Go away!" Reinette yelled at it. "Get away from here!"

"Reinette, no!" The Doctor said, but it was too late. The machine jerked forward hitting it's wrist. A second later, it teleported away. "It's back on the ship. Arg! I need to get back there." He started towards the door, then paused. He walked over towards Reinette.

"Reinette, you're going to have to trust me. I need to find out what they're looking for. There's only one way to do that. Won't hurt a bit." He put his hand on Reinette's temples. She didn't even flinch.

Rixel watch up as the two of them closed their eyes. She didn't know what was going on, but struck her as odd. So, The Doctor was flirting with Rose, who was with Mickey, but meanwhile he was flirting with Reinette? Adults were confusing. She looked over at the mirror and her eyes widened. The robot was standing in the open doorway. She glanced up at the Doctor, but he still looked busy. She bit her lip. She didn't want to interrupt him, but still. She let go of Reinette's dress and raced towards the mirror.

On the ship, she quickly lost site of the robot. Where'd it go? She ran up and down the halls, looking for signs of where it went. She had to find it before it ran back out into the French world. Whatever it was, it was after Reinette. Though she wasn't a little girl anymore, Rixel still liked her. She didn't want that creepy robot to attack Reinette like it did the Doctor. The thought sent a chill down her spine. What if the droid attacked her? She didn't know how to fight. She had no idea what to do. She'd just run. Yeah. Keep it in her sights and run.

Something grabbed her from behind. She felt a prick on her neck, then everything went black.


	10. the thickheads and the locket

**The Madame de Pompadour, 51st century**

Rixel's eyes fluttered open. She tried to rub her eyes, but her arms were retained. She looked down to find she was tied to some metal board thing. She cried out, struggling against the restraint, but she couldn't break free. She was too small.

There was a loud ticking sound off to the side. Scared, Rixel looked over. Standing next to her was one of the creepy robots, wearing it's mask. In it hand was Rixel's locket.

"Hey! Give that back!" She struggled against the restraints again.

"This is compatible." A mechanical voice came back. "You are compatible."

"I ain't compatible with whatever you're thinking." Rixel growled back. She tried to kick, but even her legs were tied down. "Give me back my locket!"

The robots upper body turn, thrusting it's arm into Rixel's chest. A second later the locket swung against her. It was burning hot. The heat and pain searched through her clothes. She cried out. Tears filled up her eyes.

A loud bang came from somewhere behind her, then the sound of...singing?

The robot pulled back his hand and looked over at the door. Rixel dropped her head down, gasping. The burning was gone, but the pain echoed inside her. Her chest ached.

The Doctor staggered into the room, singing at the top of his lungs. Rixel tried to lift her head to look at him, but she was so worn out by the pain. Usually when the pain from the locket stopped, she felt fine, but this time was different. It was a different kind of pain and burning, and it lingered. In the middle of singing, the Doctor slumped over a table in front of her. She could barely make out his shadow on the floor.

"Have you met the French?" He asked. His words were slurred. He reminded her of how Dr. Jensen sounded after he smuggled in some scotch from the guards. "Oh, they'd never even seen a banana before! I tell you what, what a party! Always take a banana to a party! Banana's are good!"

Rixel groaned, lifting her head up. She blinked, slowly pushing the tears away so she could see. The Doctor had a tie around his head. A tie. He looked ridiculous, and not in the funny way she liked.

"Oh ho ho, brilliant!" The Doctor jumped up. He waived his arm in front of the the robot next to Rixel. "It's you! You're my favorite, you are, you are the best. Do you know why? 'Cause you're so thick! You're mister thick thick thickity thick face from thicktown, thicktania." He paused, taking a step towards the robot. "And so's your dad."

The robot turns it's attention back to Rixel. It's arm started to move the locket back towards her when the Doctor spoke up again.

"You were scanning her brain!" He slurred. "And for what? Her age! Cuz this ship is 37, so you think that when she's 37 she'll be 'complete' and then compatible!"

"She is no longer required." The robot said, pushing the locket back into Rixel's chest.

Rixel cried out once more as the pain inflamed in her heart.

"Wait, why not?" The Doctor shouted out. "Tell me why and I'll leave you be, you silly thick thickhead!"

Miraculously, the robot pulled the locket away from Rixel again. "They are compatible."

Rixel started to cry. Even with the locket no longer touching her, her skin was burned. She could barely breath.

"Compatible?" The Doctor scoffed, skidding over to the droid. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine."

Rixel saw a mixture of feathers and sparkles flicker in front of her tear filled eyes, followed by a splash of red. She had no idea what was going on. All she could really think of was the pain. There were some clicks and noises going on around her, but she didn't even bother to look. She knew she wouldn't even be able to lift her head.

A moment later her restraints feel away and she collapsed. Before she hit the ground, she felt the Doctors arms wrap around her and lift her up into the air.

"There we go. You're alright now." The Doctor said.

Rixel rolled her head and rested it against his shoulder. The pain in her chest was still burning. "My locket..."

"Rose, grab that, will you?" The Doctor said. "Mickey, shut down the time windows. They're all controlled from here."

Rixel's eyes fluttered. Her brain flashed in sparks of white and yellow. The Doctor was talking to Rose and Mickey, but she couldn't concentrate on it anymore. She was struggling just to keep conscious. She didn't want to black out again. Doing that might put her back into the hands of those creepy robots. With her track record, if she passed out again, she might not wake up with the Doctor at all.

A deafening ringing started to echo in her ears. It was so loud she felt like her bones were vibrating with the noise. The Doctor was shouting things to Mickey and Rose. Next thing she knew, Rixel was in Rose's arms.

"It's alright." Rose's voice was soothing, but it couldn't stop the pain. "I've got ya. Don't worry."

"My locket." Rixel's voice cracked.

"Mickey has it." Rose said. "Don't worry."

"My chest burns."

"I'm sorry." Rose frowned.

"It burned through my clothes."

"No, your clothes are fine. Not a burn on them."

Rixel flinched. What did Rose mean? Of course they're burned. She could feel it! She heard a sniffle and opened her eyes to look up at Rose. A tear was falling out down her cheek. "What's wrong?" She pushed the words out.

"Nothin'" Rose wiped the tears away. "Don't worry."

"Where's the Doctor?" Rixel took in a deep breath. As her lungs expanded, the burn increased. She flinched, but the pain was becoming bearable. She could do this.

"Don't worry about him."

"Rose?" Mickey asked. "We can't fly the Tardis without him. How's gonna get back?"

Rose didn't reply. Rixel watched her carefully. She was trying to be strong. Something must have happened. The Doctor was gone and they were left alone. No, that wasn't possible. She'd met the Doctor in the future. He couldn't be dead. No, Mickey was just confused. The Doctor would be back very shortly.

As if on cue, she heard the Doctors voice come from across the room. "How long did you wait?"

"Doctor!" Rixel felt Rose stand up, carefully lifting her up as well. "Five and a half hours!"

What? Rixel didn't think that much time had passed. It felt like only a few seconds! Had she passed out again? She didn't think so.

"Right." The Doctor laughed. He reach out and stroked Rixel's cheek. "How's she doing?"

"I'm fine." Rixel said, but her strained voice betrayed her words.

The Doctor frowned. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She's been in and out of consciousness. Says her chest is burning."

Rixel felt a cool hand touch her forehead.

"No fever."

"I'm fine." Rixel spouted out again. The burning was still there, but it had faded greatly. "Really."

"I'll have a look at you inside." The Doctor said. "Right, you three, inside. I'll be right there."

Rixel looked up at Rose. "I can walk."

"Are you sure?" Rose looked down at her, worried.

"Yeah."

Rose lowered her down the floor, keeping both hand on her in case she fell over. Standing up made her a bit woozy, but Rixel realized she really was just fine. She could walk. Still, she didn't brush Rose away.

* * *

In the Tardis, she sat down on the chair next to Rose. Her hands clutched onto the girl tightly.

"My locket." Rixel said.

"Here." Mickey tossed it in the air towards her.

The Doctor interfered, catching it in midair. "I'll take that, thank you."

"No!" Rixel sat up. "That's mine!"

"And they were using it to torture you!" The Doctor pulled out the strange metal rod. It buzzed, reflecting the blue light off the golden chain.

"What are you doing?" Rixel demanded.

"It's his sonic screwdriver." Rose rubbed her hand on Rixel's back. "Don't worry. He's just checking it."

"What so special about this?" The Doctor frowned, looking at his sonic screw driver. "Why are you not reading properly?"

"Give it back." Rixel growled.

The Doctor looked over at her. He walked over, kneeling in front of her. "How did they torture you?"

"I don't know." Rixel didn't feel like talking much. She just wanted her mother's locket back. She was afraid the Doctor might throw it away or something.

"You're not afraid this will hurt you?" He dangled the locket up in front of her.

Rixel snatched the locket out of his hand and clutched it close to her chest. "No."

He stood up, watching her carefully. "Something's not right."

"What?" Rose asked.

The Doctor turned and went back to the Tardis controls.

Rose gave Rixel's shoulder a pat, then got up and walked over to the Doctor.

Rixel closed her eyes. She was glad Rose left. She didn't know how much longer she could hide the pain. She glanced down at her hand, the locket inside burning. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Why did this stupid little locket hurt her so much? It was just a locket! Why did it sometimes cause her so much pain?

"Are you okay?"

Rixel opened her eyes to see Mickey looking over at her. She didn't dare open her mouth to reply. If she did, only a scream would escape her. Eventually, the pain became too much and she had to shut her eyes again. Her brain screamed and her body shook. Then, just the same as before, it stopped.


	11. night at the lazarus gala

**London, 2007**

At first, she didn't open her eyes. She was scared about what just happened. Did she move again? Teleport or transport or something? Was she anywhere near the Tardis or even the Doctor? Was she alone?

"Uh, Doctor?"

Rixel opened her eyes to see a strange woman glaring at her. She didn't look too pleased to see the little red-headed child. Rixel looked around. Same Tardis. No Rose though, just this strange woman.

The Doctor popped up from behind the Tardis control panel. "Rixel!" He grinned.

"You know her?" The woman asked.

"Yup." He said, stepping around towards her. "How's the locket?"

Rixel stared up at him. The pain was completely gone. All of it. She didn't want him to think that her mothers locket was the cause. If he did, he might take it away. She didn't think she could bare that.

"Doctor?" The woman asked, breaking his concentration.

"Oh, right." He turned, clapping his hands. "Martha, Rixel. Rixel, Martha."

Rixel nodded towards her.

The Doctor knelt down in front of her. "Really though. You alright?"

Rixel nodded. The locket was still clutched against her chest with both hands.

His eyes darted between hers, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. After a moment, he gave up. "Right." He stood back up.

"Where's Rose?" Rixel asked.

The Doctor froze. She even saw Martha twitch uneasily. Okay...apparently that was not an exceptable question. But that didn't make sense. The only time she hadn't seen Rose with the Doctor was when it was the bow tie Doctor. Why couldn't she ask? Realizing she needed to change the subject, Rixel thought of something else. "What happened to Reinette?"

He looked back at her. His face was dark and serious, but his eyes looked sad and distant. "She died."

"How?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Time. She died back in the 1700's. In France."

"Oh." Rixel said. She guessed that made sense. So maybe that's what happened to Rose? No, this Doctor didn't look like he was any older. Then again, neither did the other Doctors. Did he just change his face instead of growing older? Oh, like the fountain of youth, but with a different face.

"Well, anyway. Off we go."

"Where?" Martha asked.

"You are going home." The Doctor said, pointing to the door.

"Home?" Martha replied. She walked down to the Tardis door and opened it. Rixel turned and looked. Outside the door she saw a bedroom. Not nearly as fancy as the one she'd woken up in.

Ug, that reminded her. Rixel laid her head down on the seat. She was so tired. So very very tired. And hungry. All she did with the Doctor was run around. Her body wasn't used to this. She listened as the Doctor walked down and out of the Tardis. She stayed still. Maybe just a little nap. That was all she needed.

A moment later, the Doctor came walking back in. He was alone. "You tired?"

"And hungry." Rixel replied without opening her eyes.

"Then go sleep."

"Where?" She opened her eyes and lifted up her head. He was talking to her, but he was obviously distracted as he pulled on some levers on the control panel. The Tardis started to hum.

"Ah, just down the hall or so. I'm sure she'll make you a room."

Rixel wasn't sure what he meant. Did he have a house keeper? For his ship? And a room? She didn't think this Tardis was that big. She dragged her feet across the floor and headed down what turned out to be a rather large hallway. She passed room after room until she felt that strange golden glow. She looked over and saw a door, just like the others in the hall. But this she knew was hers. She didn't know how, but she knew.

She opened the door to reveal the exact room she'd woken up in from the other Tardis. But...how? She shuffled into the room and headed towards the bed. Sprawled out on top of the covers was pajama and a banana. Rixel smiled to herself. Yeah, she liked bananas. Bananas were good.

* * *

When Rixel woke up, she felt loads better. Her energy was restored and she wasn't even as hungry. Well, maybe a little. She smiled as she saw a fruit bowl with bananas and apples on her desk. The Doctor must have brought them while she was sleeping. Or his house keeper.

She hopped out of bed and quickly got ready. Today there was a very fancy dress laid out for her. It was a silk and satin gold with blue accents. It looked far too nice to be going on adventures with the Doctor in, but who was she to question the Doctor...or whoever was laying out the clothes for her. Besides, the dress looked amazing. Like a princess gown. She even pulled her hair up a bit to finish off the look.

After spending almost ten minutes twirling in front of the mirror, Rixel finally headed out of her room. She munched on an apple as she made her way to the control room. Once there, she found it was empty. Strange. She couldn't think of a time where the Doctor wasn't in the control room. Mm, maybe that one time when she snatched her locket back during the Blitz. But he'd been right outside then. Thinking he might have just stepped out, she hurried down the ramp and opened the door.

To her surprise, it opened up into the same bedroom from night before. Except the sunlight that streamed in through the window was faint. It was setting.

"Ah, Rixel. You're awake."

She turned around to see the Doctor standing at the top of the ramp. He was dressed in a full black tuxedo. He even wore a black bow tie! He adjusted his sleeve and smiled at her.

She bounced up the ramp and hugged him around his waist.

"Look at you! Don't you look marvelous! All gorgeous, you are!" He stepped back, twirling her around. "Oh, I love it."

"Did you get it for me?" She asked, smiling big.

"Nope. All the Tardis." He replied.

"But...the Tardis is a ship." It was then that the Doctors earlier words...well, later for him, came back to her. She was so much more than a ship.

"Naw." The Doctor said. "She's more than that. She's alive."

"Alive?" Rixel's eyes widened. "Like, an alien?"

"Something like that." He ruffled her hair.

Her hands instantly flew up and swatted him away. "No! Don't mess it up!"

"Oh, right, right! Sorry." He laughed, then reached out for her hand. "You ready?"

She took it. "Where are we going?"

"A fancy science event." He winked at her. "You'll love it."

* * *

The Doctor was wrong. She most certainly did NOT love it. In fact, it was so super boring. At first, it seemed like a cool idea. A science gala with a bunch of scientists and smart people. It turned that that wasn't the case. It was a bunch of stupid rich people who were trying to make themselves sound good. And all the so-called scientists were more interested in flirting with the rich than talk science with a six year old. Rixel found herself quickly bored and sitting off to the side.

After an hour or so, another little girl came over and joined her. The girl had dark red hair too, but it was straight. She sat down next to Rixel. Her accent was slightly British, but not nearly as thick as everyone else in the room. "Are you as bored as I am?"

"Yes." Rixel grumbled. She was leaning forward, her head in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. "How long do these things go on for?"

"Hours." The girl rolled her eyes. "They're never any fun, either. They draw you in with the promise of science, then turn out to be all for fund-raising."

Rixel sat up and looked over at the girl. "You're funny."

The girl smiled at her. She stuck out her hand. "My name's Megan."

Rixel stared at her. "Megan?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Is that your name, too?"

"And you love science?" Rixel felt her heart speed up. What year was this? Were they back in time? How far back in time? Did the year work out to be...? Megan's hair was a dark red, but it was most definitely red. "What's your last name?"

"Hershey." Megan looked down at her extended hand, which remained empty. "Like the candy bar."

Rixel felt every cell in her body jump all at once. Hershey! Of course! At a science show with other scientists and wanting to see science and the red hair! She leaned forward and grabbed her mother in a giant huge.

"Oh, okay." Megan laughed.

"Sorry." Rixel leaned back. She was still shaking in excitement. "I just never meat kids my age who like science as much as I do."

"Oh, I know what you mean!" Megan laughed. "It's all 'lets go color' or 'science is boring'!"

"Heh, yeah." Rixel couldn't stop smiling. Her whole body felt like lightning.

"So, what was your name?" Megan asked.

"R-Rachel." Rixel said quickly. "Rachel...Smith."

"Nice to meet you, Rachel." Megan smiled. "Want to get out of here?"

Rixel's eyes darted over towards the Doctor. "Erm, I don't know."

Megan followed her eyes. "Ah. Parents. Yeah, I've got them around here too. It's okay." She grinned. "I've been to loads of these things. I can easily tell when it's close to getting over. They'll be so busy mingling they won't even notice we're gone. And we'll be back with loads of time."

Rixel couldn't believe this. Her mother, as a kid, was asking her to ditch out and run off with her! This was too cool! She looked over at her and nodded. "Okay. Let's go!"


	12. the bell tower of Scorpio

**London, 2007**

The two of them were up high above the city skyline in a cathedral tower. There were small windows, mostly boarded up, but they two girls could still manage to see quite a bit. This was the most amazing view Rixel had ever seen before. From where they stood, she could see almost all of London, and a fantastic view of the nighttime sky. Rixel listened in awe as Megan pointed out different constellations. The stars were amazing. More than anything she could have imagined. In books, they would describe the sky as a blanket with holes cut it, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. It was more like in the Lion King – fireflies stuck up in that blueish black thing. They even twinkled! She couldn't believe it! If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she never could have imagined it really possible.

"That's Scorpio. Probably the easiest to spot because of the three lines. See it?" Megan traced her finger in between two boards.

"Oh yeah!" Rixel grinned.

"And that's Cassiopeia over there." Megan turned and headed to another window with Rixel in tow. "Looks like a 'W'."

"Yup. I see it."

Megan smiled. "Good. Usually when I try and show people constellations, they can't pick out anything."

"Yeah, well I'm smart."

Megan laughed. "And apparently not modest either."

Rixel shrugged. "My mom always says modesty is lying." The words came out before she realized what she was saying. She froze.

Megan didn't seem to notice anything. "Hey, I like that! Sounds...neat!"

The girls laughed together.

"Do you come here often?" Rixel asked, once their laughter died down.

Megan shrugged. "Not really. About twice a year or so. My parents are really big into all this science stuff and like to attend these Galas. Lucky for me, they usually just let me stay home with my sister. But every once in a while I'm forced to go."

Rixel's eyes widened. "You have a sister?"

Megan looked over at her. "Yeah. It's a common enough occurrence."

"I-I-I know, I just." Rixel shook her head. Wow. She had an aunt. She had no idea. Her parents had been so careful not to talk about their families. After all, they were certain Rixel would never be able to meet them. After moving to the lab, they were pronounced dead to the world in order to hide the secrecy of what they were working on. But an aunt...what if? What if Rixel could find her? She obviously looked enough like her mother that her story would have to be believable, right?

"You okay, Rachel?" Megan asked, pulling Rixel out of her daydream. She hated the fact that her mother couldn't even call her by her real name.

"Yeah, sorry." She grinned. "I just never had any siblings. I'm jealous."

"Mm, no offense, but you're a bit young." Megan giggled. "You could still have a sibling."

"Oh." Rixel bit her lip. As far as Megan knew, her parents were at the Gala. She couldn't really say anything to let her know just how wrong that statement was.

It was then the tower of the cathedral rumbled. Nothing too drastic, though for a second Rixel got excited over the fact that she might be in an Earthquake. No, it was just a small shudder, as if something very big slammed very hard into the side of the building.

"What was that?" Megan asked, more curious that scared. She leaned down over the railing under the bell and looked down into the church.

Rixel shrugged and joined her in looking down into the cathedral. It was hard to see that far down. She thought she could make out some figures moving about, but she didn't know who they were.

As the girls were leaning intently over the edge, they heard a scream. Screams from a man. They were followed by a growling sound that echoed up the bell tower to them.

Both the girl jumped back from the railing. Instinctively, Rixel grabbed Megan's hand. The girls were too young to know what to do. They stood there, frozen. Listening. There was the sound of footsteps coming from the stairwell.

"Someone's coming." Megan barely breathed.

Rixel squeezed her mothers hand. The growling sound grew louder and louder. Then she heard the one thing that would always make her heart jump – she heard the Doctor.

"Martha!"

Without thinking, Rixel ran to the railing and looked back down into the church. "Doctor!"

"Rixel!" The Doctor's voice carried up.

She smiled. They were safe. The Doctor was here. He'd keep them safe no matter what. Rixel looked back at Megan who looked beyond terrified. "It's okay." Rixel said. "We're fine."

Megan didn't say a word. Her eyes were fixated on something behind Rixel. Something that was standing in the only stairwell out of the bell tower. Her hand raised up slowly, shaking.

Rixel trembled slightly. But, the Doctor was here. They couldn't be in danger. The growling sound was loud. And close. Very close. But the Doctor was here. Everything should be fine.

Martha's voice came from the small hole below the bell. "Rixel! Look out!"

The little red-headed girl spun around. Across the hole in the bell tower that lead down into the cathedral was a tall monstrous looking thing. It had a spiked tail and what seemed like claws, but it's flesh...it looked like flesh. Flesh of a human. And it's face! It looked like it was that of a mans! This creature was unlike anything she'd ever seen in any movie.

"Doctor Lazarus?" Megan's voice whimpered.

Rixel's eyes widened as the creature stepped forward, cracking the very foundation of the bell tower. The two girls backed up against the wall. The space between them and the monster was far too small. Rixel's eyes darted around, but there was no way to escape. The only way out was through the stairwell. Or the giant gaping hole under the bell. Yeah sure, that was only like a hundred foot drop. Perfectly safe.

"Doctor!" Rixel cried out.

The creature lashed out towards them. The girl's ducked, screaming in fear. Megan lost her grip on Rixel's hand as the girls went in separate directions. Rixel felt a wisp of air pass her head as she ducked again. She cried out in fear, but managed to get back up. Again, the tail lashed out as her. This time it fell short, smashing the railing under the bell in front of her. Nothing between her and the hole now.

The ground cracked some more as the creature shifted around towards Rixel. The little red-headed girl pushed Megan around, hoping that the creature would keep going so they could reach the stairs. She wasn't in luck.

The tail smashed between the girls, slicing Rixel's hand. She staggered sideways. Before she could think, her foot slipped and she fell down into the hole.

"Rachel!" Megan screamed.

Rixel's legs kicked furiously in the air as she held onto the small wooden plank that protruded out. Her arms weren't strong enough to hold her for long. And she could feel the plank cracking with every movement of the creature.

Megan reached out to her from where she was. The poor girl was pressed so hard up against the wall there was no way she could reach her. Still, she stretched her arm out in the best attempt her scared mind could do.

Rixel heard music. She didn't know how long it had been playing or why she hadn't noticed it before. It seemed to grow stronger, louder. The bell dangling above her head was echoing the music back down to her. So loud.

"Hang on!" Megan cried. Tears streamed down her face.

The music was so loud. Rixel closed her eyes. Her hands were slipping. There was nothing she could do. She was going to fall. If her own strength couldn't hold her, the reverberation from the music would crack the board. Either way, there was nothing she could do. Was this how it was, then? She died right in front of her mother? Not even a chance to tell her about all the wonderful adventures she had with the Doctor or anything?

She felt something scratch her and cried out in pain. A long deep scratch down her back that caused so much pain her hands let go. With a scream, she fell.

But her arm was caught. Not by a wooden plank, but by someone. Someone strong.

Rixel dared to look up. Above her, grabbing her arm with both hands, was Martha.

"Rixel!" Martha cried out, pulling the little girl up to safety. As soon as she was up, the woman gave her a hug. She squeezed her so hard Rixel couldn't even breathe, but she didn't care. She was safe. Somehow, she was okay.

After a moment, Rixel flinched. "Ow!"

"What?" Martha pulled back, looking at her with worried eyes. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Rixel turned around, trying to look over her shoulder. A deep red gasp ran down her spine.

Martha gasped. "Oh no! He must have scratched you on the way down!"

"Martha! Rixel!" The Doctor's voice echoed up through the hole.

"We're okay!" Martha called back. She pulled Rixel back into a hug, careful not to touch the wound. "You're okay. Don't worry. We'll get you all fixed up."

"I'm sorry, Megan." Rixel looked over at the terrified girl. "Are you okay?"

Megan shook her head back and forth, tears falling from her eyes.

"Oh, poor girl." Martha pulled Megan into the hug as well. "You're okay now. I promise. You're okay."


	13. Mirror, mirror

**London, 2007**

After they'd drop Megan back off at the Gala, the Doctor pulled Rixel aside. She wanted to go make sure Megan was okay, to make sure she didn't hate her. And mostly, she wanted to meet her grandparents. But the Doctor wouldn't let her go. He took her away all too soon.

"...and with that man!" A woman was standing on the sidewalk, yelling at Martha. "You need to stay away from him!"

"Mother! I'm fine!" Martha yelled back. "You leave him out of this!"

The Doctor pushed past them, pulling Rixel along. He didn't stop until they were much farther away from everyone. Rixel couldn't even heard the sound of Martha's mom yelling anymore.

The Doctor knelt down in front of her, leveling his eyes with hers. He spun her around gently so he could see her wound. Rixel heard the buzzing sound that Rose had told her was the sonic screwdriver. A moment later, she felt the Doctor's coat slump over her shoulders. "There." He muttered. "That should help for now. We'll bandage it up in the Tardis."

Rixel nodded in thanks and turned back around to see him. It didn't hurt. Well, no, that was a lie. It did hurt. But she was more concerned about her emotional state than a scratch down her back.

That's when his whole face changed. He grabbed her arms, holding her lightly in place. "What were you thinking?"

Rixel looked down at her feet, but the Doctor instantly pulled her chin back up so she had to look at him.

"You could have been killed!" He seethed. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? Running off on your own? You're only six, Rixel!"

"I know." She mumbled. Her eyes started to tear up. It wasn't fair. Why did she always have to cry? She wanted to be strong. She wanted to be all grown up and responsible, but she always cried. Just like a crybaby.

"What if I hadn't found you?" The Doctor's hands lowered back to her arms. "What if I didn't get there in time? What if Martha hadn't caught you?"

Rixel sniffed. She knew she had been stupid, but...but...it had been her mother's idea. Technically by not going she would have been disobeying her mother. The opportunity to talk with her mother, to learn she had an aunt... Rixel realized she'd do the whole thing over again in a heartbeat.

The Doctor sighed. As if reading her thoughts he asked, "Who was that girl?"

"She was from the gala." Rixel sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. "She was bored."

"Yes, but who was she?" The Doctors eyes seemed to burn into her.

"Just some girl." Rixel shrugged.

"Don't lie to me." The Doctor said. "You're clever, but not enough. Don't ever think you're clever enough to lie to me. Who was she?"

Rixel broke down into tears. She couldn't help it. She was still scared from before and getting yelled at by the Doctor wasn't helping. She didn't want to be here any longer. She just wanted to go home.

To her surprise, the Doctor pulled her into a hug. Rixel sobbed harder, letting her tears fall onto his exposed shirt. Why did things have to be like this? Why couldn't they be all fun like the zoo? Why did it have to be about monsters and death?

"It's alright." The Doctor petted her hair.

"How-how did you know?" Rixel sniffled.

She felt the Doctor grin against her hair. "I met the Hershey's. As soon as they mentioned they had a daughter with them, I knew you'd find her. And then when you were gone-" He stiffened slightly.

Rixel waited. He met her grandparents. Her real, honest to goodness grandparents. And she'd never see them. "What?"

The Doctor pushed back, looking into her eyes. "I thought I'd lost you."

She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. "We were only going to be gone for a little while."

"But what if you weren't?" His voice cracked just the tiniest bit, so small she almost didn't catch it.

"Doctor?" Rixel reached up and touched his bow tie. This one was black. It wasn't nearly as fun as his other one. This Doctor was the soft and huggable one, but she liked the funny one the most. He could make her smile. "Can I see her again? Just once more."

The Doctor's eyes softened, but his voice was strong. "No."

"But-why?" The back of her throat swelled as she tried not to cry.

"It could create a giant time paradox. You can't be seen here. No one can know you. Especially not your parents."

"She didn't know who I was." Rixel managed to say without crying. Still, her head was starting to hurt from holding it in.

The Doctor shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You're smart, but you might not be thinking clearly around your family. Something might slip. And then what? You might never be born. We can't have that, now can we?" He smiled at her, but his eyes were distant. Sad, even.

Her bottom lip trembled, but she nodded. He was just trying to look out for her. She knew that. She just wanted to see her mom so badly. "Can...can I go visit my parents?"

"I just said you can't. I'm so sorry."

"No." She shook her head. "Now. Real time. Or whatever it's called. Can I go back to home and see them?"

Fear flickered through the Doctor's eyes. Rixel was confused. That was the first time she'd really see him react so much to her questions. It wasn't like she was asking much. Just a visit. Why did that bother him so much?

"Come on." The Doctor stood back up and took her hand in his.

She wanted to ask if they were going to see her parents, but she didn't dare. Whatever that look in his eye was...she never wanted to see it again.

"And you!" Martha's mother was still going at it as the Doctor and Rixel approached. This time she was yelling at Martha's sister. "Following after her like that! She's nothing but a bad influence!"

"Mom, relax!" The sister said.

"You've got cuts all over your face!" Her mother screamed. "How can I relax?"

"She does not." Martha rolled her eyes. "Those are freckles."

"Freckles aren't red." Her mother turned her wrath back to Martha.

"Looks like we best save her, yeah?" The Doctor whispered to Rixel.

Rixel nodded. She wanted to laugh, but that look he gave her still haunted her. She shrugged his jacket around her tighter. The fabric rubbed up against her scratch, causing her to flinch. Yeah, it was starting to hurt.

"It's fine, mom. Really!" Martha said. "She probably just got stressed. There's nothing wrong with a few red spots!"

"Martha?" The Doctor casually called out to her.

"No! No, no no! You are not welcome!" Her mother shrieked at the Doctor.

"Shut up, mom!" Martha said, She turned to the Doctor and smile. "You ready?"

"Yup." He grinned.

"Martha! Don't you walk away from me!" Her mother yelled.

"Love you, mom! Tish, take care of her! I'll be back!" Martha waved as she walked away.

Behind them, Rixel heard Martha's mother continued to scream. It should be funny. She should be laughing. But she couldn't. The Doctor had been scared. Over what, she didn't know.

* * *

Back in the Tardis, Martha whisked Rixel off to a room she didn't know. It was all silvery and white and there were strange tools everywhere. She guessed it was suppose to be a medical room of some sort.

"You're lucky, you know." Martha said as she began to collect things from around the room. "He didn't scratch you that deep. Could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah. He could have pulled me down." Rixel said without thinking. She hadn't meant to say something so morbid, but that look still haunted her. Why was he so scared? The Doctor faced monsters and traveled through time and space. Why was he scared of her parents? Her parents were nice.

She flinched, crying out slightly as something stung her back.

"Sorry." Martha frowned. "It might sting a bit. I'm just rinsing it out."

Rixel bit her lip as her back flared up in pain. It wasn't the same type of pain she got from the locket. This was different. But that golden hum, that golden feeling of welcome, it was there. Racing through her, trying to calm her down.

"So, Rixel." Martha said, trying to start up a conversation while working. "Where are you from?"

"From?" Rixel asked. That was a question she wasn't sure how to answer.

"Yeah, I mean. You just showed up here on the Tardis and the Doctor acts like it's no big deal."

"He saved me." Rixel said, trying not to flinch as she felt something pierce her skin. "My parents couldn't come get me without the risk of getting caught, so he did. Him and Rose."

"Rose." Martha uttered the name with a slight disdain.

"Where is Rose?" Rixel asked.

Martha shrugged. "Dunno. He doesn't talk about her." She paused for a moment. "Rixel. Are...are you an alien?"

Rixel laughed. "I'm human."

"Right." Martha shook her head. "Are...are you sure?"

Rixel turned to look at her. Martha's face was slightly pale. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Martha took half a step back from the girl, staring at her back.

"What's wrong?" Rixel started to panic.

"You're human?" Martha asked again.

"Yes! I already told you!" Rixel pulled her shoulder blades back, but she didn't feel anything on her back.

Martha paused. Then she turned and picked up a mirror off the table beside her. "Cuz this isn't very human."

Rixel looked back into the mirror. The reflection showed locks of curled red hair draping over a child's back. A simple, pale, unscratched back. "What?"

Martha's voice quickened. "It was there. Just a moment ago. I saw it! You were scratched! You had a giant open wound running down your back!"

Rixel tried to reach around and touch her back, but her arm wouldn't bend the right way. No matter how she moved, though, her back didn't hurt. Not at all.

"I-I just blinked is all. A blink and it was gone!"

Rixel turned fully around to look at Martha. The woman's eyes were wide and terrified. She looked at Rixel. Her eyes were scared, but it was nothing compared to how the Doctor had looked moments ago. "Well, what did you do? The Doctor used his little sonic screwdriver thing on it."

She shook her head. "It shouldn't, I mean. It can't just...can he do that? Heal people like that?"

Rixel shrugged. It wasn't upsetting her as much as she thought it probably should have. She had a scratch and now she didn't. She wasn't in pain. The Doctor had fixed her. That was good.

Martha put the mirror back down on the table. She seemed hesitant, but reached a hand out for Rixel. "Come on. You need some rest. Then we'll ask the Doctor."

* * *

Rixel lead Martha through the hallway back to her room. Martha kept asking how she knew where she was going, but Rixel wasn't sure. She just did. If she followed the golden warmth, it was easy.

In her room, she got ready for bed. Martha looked around at all the cool stuff while she waited for the little girl to change and brush her teeth. When Rixel came back into the room, Martha smiled at her. The fear was gone from her eyes.

"Hop up." Martha sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the covers.

Rixel ran, leaping off the ladder steps and flew face down into the bed. It was so comfortable. Though she'd only slept a few hours ago, she was exhausted.

Martha tucked her in, then kissed her on the forehead. "You're such a kid."

"Yup!" Rixel said, popping the 'p' just like this huggable Doctor did.

Martha laughed. "You sound just like him!"

Rixel wiggled down in her covers. Oh, bed felt so good. She didn't want to go to sleep. There was too many adventures to have. But bed felt so warm and comfy.

"Good night, you." Martha patted her arm. "Sleep well."

"You're not going to be scared of me, right?" Rixel asked.

"Oh, Rixel." Martha furrowed her brow. "Why would I be scared of you?"

"You were earlier." She sunk her mouth down below the covers, peering out at Martha. "You were scared when my back was all healed."

Martha frowned slightly. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. We're on an alien space ship! With an alien! He's bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve."

Rixel nodded slightly. "So you don't hate me?"

Martha laughed and kissed her again on the forehead. "I don't hate you. Now stop stalling and get some rest! You need it!"

Rixel nodded and snuggled down into the covers. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Rixel awoke to an empty room. At the foot of her bed was a nice looking blue dress with long sleeves. She looked around for traces of the mysterious housekeeper (or was it shipkeeper?), but there wasn't anything other than the fresh clothes. Oh well. Rixel was just thankful she had some pretty clothes to wear.

As she dressed, she checked her back out in the mirror. Still clean. Not even a hint of a scar. That was so weird. But Martha was right. Aliens. Who knew what they could do? If the Doctor could change his face, why not be able to heal her? She guessed she owed him an apology. She hadn't been too nice to him the night before. He was just looking after her. She knew that. But why was he so scared of her parents?

Once fully ready, she made her way back out to the main control room. Rixel sat up on the all too familiar seat and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Martha asked as the Doctor waltzed around the control panel.

The words came out of her before she realized she was thinking about it. "I'm going to leave again, aren't I?" She asked quietly. She hoping the Doctor didn't hear her.

"Why would you leave?" Martha asked.

Rixel frowned. "It usually happens when everything gets all normal like."

Martha grabbed Rixel's hand. "You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to."

"What? Whose going?" The Doctor looked over at them.

Martha shook her head. "No one. You're stuck with us."

He grinned. "Whose stuck with who, eh?"

"Can I go home?" Rixel asked. She knew it probably wasn't nice to ask again, but she missed her mom. So much so.

The Doctor looked away. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"You promised!" Rixel snapped. She hadn't realized she was that angry about it, but the more she spoke, the more it made sense for her to be upset. He did promise her after all. And it had been several days since she'd seen her parents. That was hard on a little girl who'd never left them at all before. "You said I could visit any time!"

"I know, Rix." The Doctor sighed. He looked so lost standing on the other side of the control panel. "It's complicated."

"No, it's not!" She snapped back. Anger was rising in her chest. Pure, white hot anger. It seemed to be filling her entire being. She wanted to go home. The Doctor was scared and angry and lost and she didn't see why it was such a big deal. She was a terrified little girl who wanted her parents. That was it. He owed her that much.

The anger raced up her throat and into her head. A million stars sparked in her eyes and she doubled over. Wait, no. Not anger, pain. She wasn't furious at all, she was in pain. So much pain.

"Doctor!" Martha yelled as she grabbed Rixel in a hug. "What's going on?"

From somewhere beyond the veil of pain, Rixel could barely hear the Doctor. "She's jumping again. Something to do with her locket. I can't...I don't know how to stop it."

Rixel's hand raced up and grabbed the locket. It burned her hand, sticking to it, just as she knew it would. She panicked, fearing the Doctor might try and take it from her. She bit her lip to keep from screaming. 'It'll pass', she repeated to herself. 'Just hold on, it'll pass.'


	14. All aboard

**Titanic, 1912**

And it did. Just as it always did. The pain faded without so much as a flicker of remembrance.

Rixel opened her eyes slowly. Part of her was worried she'd still be in the same spot, with the same Doctor. It wasn't that she didn't like him, she did. But now she was scared of him. Just a little bit. Something about the way he looked at her and how he knew – HE KNEW – she would teleport. Or 'jump' as he said. Almost as if he wanted her to. Maybe that's why he couldn't take her home. He knew she was leaving. How would he know?

Instead, she found the Tardis to be not the same. Her heart jumped. Did that mean-?

Sure enough, from up the small stairs and down the hall she heard singing from a voice she knew all to well. It was the bow tie Doctor.

"Doctor!" Rixel grinned, jumping up to her feet. She raced up the stairs and ran smack into him. Her arms wrapped around his legs and she hugged him with all her might.

"What in-?" The Doctor flinched, looking down at her. His voice jumped half an octave as he spoke her name. "Rixel?"

"I'm so sorry I left before." She snuggled her head into his legs. "I promise you, I'll never leave again. I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you!"

The Doctor struggled to shake her loose from his legs. It took quite a bit of effort, but slowly he managed to get her off so he could kneel down beside her. His eyes sparkled as he explored her face. His mouth grinned from ear to ear. "Look at you. Just, look at you! Amazing!"

She giggled. Her hand went up and touched his bow tie. Yup, this was the right tie. The right Doctor. Everything was good now.

"You're so young."

Rixel's eyes flashed up to his. What? So young? She'd just seen him the day before! "But-I...I was just here..."

"So I see you again?" His eyes widened just the smallest bit, but then he shook his head. "Nevermind. Not the point. But no, seriously, you weren't just here. I haven't seen you this young since...since...well, since my last regeneration. I thought I'd never see you again."

Rixel narrowed her eyes at him. "No. I was here yesterday morning. Yesterday you took me to the zoo."

He laughed. "Yes, sounds like something I'd do. I look forward to it."

She snorted. This wasn't right. She knew it was all messed up with time and everything, but that didn't make sense. She was here. This Tardis. This Doctor. "So, you're this Doctor but earlier than before?"

He nodded. "Must be. Is that a problem? Are you alright?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Is it...bad that I told you we went to the zoo?"

He laughed. "Probably. Just don't do it again." His finger poked her nose and he got up to his feet. His hand wrapped around hers and they walked back down into the control room. "So! Little Miss Rixel. You ready for an adventure?"

Rixel slouched over. "No. Not really."

"No?" He spun around and glared at her. "Who are you and what have you done with my Rixel?"

She couldn't help but giggle. "It's me."

"No. Couldn't be." His eyes shimmered playfully. "My Rixel likes adventure. She likes fun and playing around."

"I just had an adventure. It was scary." She said quietly.

He flinched ever so slightly. "Scary? Scary how?"

"A monster scratched me." Rixel frowned. "But it's okay. You healed me. You made me all better."

"Oh, I wish I could believe that." He smiled at her, halfheartedly. "Tell you what. One little tiny adventure. We just go outside and see what's there. Nothing fun, you can come back in and we can do boring things like chess or reading. Fair enough?"

Rixel sighed. To be fair, she wasn't that resistant. She knew she was safe with this Doctor. He wouldn't take her to any monsters. She rolled her eyes. "Okay!"

"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands together and started to walk towards the door.

"Aren't you going to fly somewhere?" Rixel asked, eying the control panel.

"Oh, I landed ages ago. Was just freshening myself up. Never know who you're going to run into." He winked at her.

Rixel giggled. She took his hand and headed off to the door.

* * *

Outside the Tardis, Rixel was a little disappointed to find them standing in the middle of yet another bedroom. It wasn't Martha's, but it certainly didn't look very fun either. It was all fancy and highly decorated, but not like her room she'd slept in on the Tardis. No. This was more for people who liked to look at nice things and not touch. It reminded her of a Grandma's house from tv.

She stuck out her tongue. "Where are we?"

"Dunno." He grinned down at her "Half the fun."

She looked down at the floor. There was carpet beneath her feet, but she felt like the floor was moving somehow. "Are we shaking?"

"I think we're on a boat."

"A boat!" Rixel's eyes lit up. She'd never been on a boat before! "Like a ship, but in the ocean?"

He smiled at her, then started to pull her towards the door to the room. "Exactly."

The door led them out into a hallway which was in the same style as the room. There were fancy paintings behind glass and ceramic statues in the hallway. The way the floor was rocking, Rixel wondered how everything stayed in place. It wasn't moving so bad, but enough to almost throw her off balance.

They walked around for a while, looking in doors and going up stairs. Once in a while they'd pass some people, but no one seemed interested in them. Rixel noticed they all had very formal clothing on. It reminded her of the Gala the night before, but different. The clothes were older. Like, history movie style. Finally, they reached what seemed to be the top floor. Sunlight streamed in through a circular window in a pair of doors.

"Want to go outside?" The Doctor grinned at her.

"Oh, yes." Rixel said in a voice that was far older than her normal voice. This place made her feel proper.

Outside, the sun warmed Rixel's skin. Ah, sun! She'd forgotten how much she loved it! It was so warm!

The deck of the ship stretched on in front of them, leading towards another white room that was up some stairs. Above that room was a tall black steam pipe, spewing out smoke.

"It's the Titanic!" The Doctor laughed.

"The what?" Rixel asked, looking up at him.

"Oh, you know! Titanic! Greatest ship to ever sail the seas! Sinks to the bottom of the sea with loads of treasure! One of the best tragedy stories ever told!"

Rixel looked up at him. "Was there a movie about it?"

"A movie!" He looked at her with a hint of disdain. "Who wants a silly old movie when we are standing right here!" He jumped up and down at the last three words.

Rixel giggled.

"Now, let's have a looksy, shall we?"

She nodded and he took her hand once more. They headed towards the white room, going up a small spiral staircase. At the top was a wooden door. They went into the room, which was much smaller than Rixel expected.

A control room. Rixel smiled to herself. It wasn't nearly as cool as the Tardis.

"Oy! What are you doin' here?" Someone shouted over at them.

Rixel slipped behind the Doctor.

"Ship inspector." The Doctor said, holding up a piece of paper Rixel couldn't see. "We've come to inspect your controls. See that everything is in order."

"You're both...inspectors?" The man who yelled at them looked down at Rixel.

"Oh, don't be silly." The Doctor patted Rixel's head. "Of course not. This is my friend. She's aboard for fun. Wanted to meet the Captain. He's suppose to be a wonderful man."

The man didn't look too convinced. "Is he expecting you?"

"Who is that, Stafford?" A voice came from behind them.

The man who yelled at them stepped aside and a new man came forth. This one was dressed in a nicely formal white outfit and a white military looking hat. He had a fuzzy white beard around his chin that reminded Rixel of how Santa Claus looked in movies.

"I'm Captain Smith. Whose looking for me?"

The Doctor grinned. "Ah, Captain Edward Smith. Rixel, I'd like you to meet the most famous Captain in the World."

Rixel nodded at him shyly. "Hello."

The Captain raised his eyebrow. "You bothered me to show off to your little girl?"

"She's not my little girl." The Doctor said, swiftly pushing Rixel in front of him. "She's better than that. She's wonderful. And you should be pleased to meet her."

The Captain opened his mouth the reply, but the Doctor kept talking.

"Now! I see you have everything going ahead, but not full speed. Probably a good thing at that. Wouldn't want to arrive early." He scanned his finger along the controls as he walked passed the Captain, leaving Rixel to stand alone in the door. "Guessing by the looks of things, we're out on the open ocean. Can't have been long since you last left port so I'm guessing it's April 11th or 12th. Can't be too late in."

"Is this going anywhere?" The Captain interrupted.

"What day is it exactly?" The Doctor stopped and turned on his heels to face the Captain and Rixel.

"April 14th." The Captain sighed.

"The fourteenth?" The Doctor looked at Rixel slightly worried. "Are you sure?"

"Sir, I must ask you to leave. I'm afraid we're terribly busy and there isn't enough room here for you to be-"

"Yes, yes!" The Doctor shuffled passed the Captain and grabbed Rixel's hand. "We were just leaving anyway. Good day!"

The Doctor rushed out of the room and down the white spiral stairs, Rixel in tow.

"Doctor?" She asked, surprised at his strange reaction. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" He said, still moving away from the white room. "I'm more than okay. I'm fine. I'm peachy."

"You don't sound it."

He lead her back into the main part of the ship and down the stairs. He pushed passed people without so much as a hello. Something the Doctor never did.

"Doctor?" Rixel finally asked.

The Doctor slowed down, but only a bit. "Yes, Rixel."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the Tardis." He continued to make their way down the hall.

"I thought we were going to have an adventure."

"An adventure, yes." He said. His thoughts were elsewhere. "But this one is cutting it too close."

"Too close? What do you mean?" Rixel thought as hard as she could. He did says the Titanic sinks to the bottom of the sea. Was that today? Was that now? "Are we going to die?"

The Doctor stopped suddenly and grabbed Rixel into a hug. "No, no, of course not. You're not going to die. Don't you think such silly little things."

Rixel frowned and pushed him away. "You're acting funny."

"I know. I'm sorry." He said, looking down. "I didn't realize today was the day."

"The day the ship sinks to the bottom of the sea with loads of treasure?" Rixel replied. She wasn't scared at all. Even the thought of the ship sinking and her dieing just didn't seem scary. She was with the Doctor. They'd be fine.

"I need to get you out of here. It's not safe."

Rixel thought for a moment. "How does the ship sink?"

"Iceberg." The Doctor said. "Hits it and cracks the ship in two."

Rixel nodded slowly as the thought came back to her. "Not right away though, right? First everything seems fine. But then the water slowly rises. Closes off the lower levels. Lock downs leave poor people to die. They don't fill up the evacuation ships like they should. Many people die. Not all, but many."

The Doctor looked between her eyes, trying to read her. "I thought you didn't know anything about the Titanic."

"There was a movie." Rixel closed her eyes, thinking. "I watched it, but so very long ago. I can't remember everything."

"A movie?" The Doctor grumbled. "A movie?"

Rixel opened her eyes to find his face looking back at her with the same distaste. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Your knowledge of history is from movies?"  
Rixel nodded. "Yup! All the books we had were fiction. Fun, but not really educational."

"Movies?" He glared at her, shaking his head. "You poor, poor child."

"It's okay." She clasped her hands behind her back. "You can show me history."

"Of course I can." The Doctor stood up, straightening up. "I can show you history better than any silly movie."

"Then can we watch the ship hit the ice?"

The Doctor's composure changed. "No. It's not safe."

"Does the ship sink right away?" Rixel asked. According to the movie, she knew it didn't. And she also knew it happened very late at night.

The two stopped talking as a couple sauntered into the hallway. They were laughing and talking to themselves. Rixel and the Doctor shifted as far off to the side as they could, but the hallways were small. It wasn't as all as open as the Tardis.

The woman had on a long white dress with black stripes. Her black shoes poked out with each step she took, and Rixel couldn't help but marvel at the woman's hat. Her light brown hair was tucked up into it neatly. Not a single stray hair. How did she do that? The man was in a fancy suit, but it wasn't as cool as the Doctors. He didn't wear a hat, and his dark brown hair was cropped short to his head. She was about to smile and wave to the couple as they passed when she noticed the red freckles under than man's eyes. Strange. Were freckles always red?

The couple walked off down the hall and turned the corner. When the Doctor thought the coast was clear, he turned his attention back to Rixel.

"No. But it doesn't matter." He shook his head. "It's not safe."

"Doctor." Rixel pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. She wanted to stay. She wanted to explore. She wanted to see an iceberg! Her eyes widened and she tilted her head down ever so slightly. Just like she used to do with her mom when she wanted to stay up late to watch a movie. "Please?"

The Doctors face went red. At first he looked angry, then almost a little scared. But then his face shifted into sadness. He hung his head down, defeated. "Oh, all right."

"Yay!" Rixel jumped up and down and clapped her hands.

"But you have to stay with me! No wondering off!" The Doctor said.

"Yes, yes. Of course!" She spun around in a circle. This was the Doctor she knew and liked. A vacation on a fancy ship with no monsters and no worries. They'd be off the ship safely after she saw her very first iceberg!

"You clever, naughty little girl." The Doctor said, looking down at her with a smile.


	15. S.O.S.

**Titanic, 1912**

After fully exploring the deck they were on, Rixel found herself in complete awe of the décor she previously hated. Sure, it was all silly and frivolous and not really for children, but it was masterfully crafted. The grand staircase was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. It wasn't as big as she expected, but really the whole ship was incredibly small in comparison to the Tardis. She found herself getting more and more excited as the night came. When the sun started to set, the Doctor took her up to the main deck.

"It just goes on forever!" Rixel said, gaping at the endless ocean. She stood on the second rung of the railing, looking out. The Doctor stood beside her, a hand gently rested on her back.

"Impressive, isn't it?" He replied.

"How far does it go? What's the closest land that way?" She pointed off in the direction they were looking at.

"Oh, Greenland. And it goes on for kilometers. Hundreds and hundred of kilometers until the sea floor rises up above the water line."

Rixel laughed. "Can you swim that far?"

"Me?" The Doctor looked over at her and smiled. "I can swim forever. What about you? Think you can swim that far?"

Rixel looked back at him. Was he serious or did he just not know? Sometimes she wasn't sure. He seemed to know that she grew up in the lab, but then he would ask strange questions like that. "I've never swam before."

"Never?" He looked back at her, shocked. "Never ever?"

"Never ever." She wanted to smile. Wanted to make him grin at her again.

"You're only six." He muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Yes." Rixel said. She looked back out towards the ocean. All that water below her could pull her under and drown her. But it wouldn't. Because the Doctor had seen her when she was older. That means she stays with him.

The thought filled her with happiness. She does stay with the Doctor then. She travels with him and is happy and makes him happy. She reached out and hugged his arm.

He flinched, but didn't pull away. After a moment, he patted her head. "You ever seen the sun set?"

Rixel shook her head. The glowing orb was slowly dropping down in the sky as they spoke. The sky was starting to darken just the slightest bit. Like magic.

"Have you done anything?"

Rixel giggled. "Of course I have."

"But you're so young." His voice was soft.

"Not to me." Rixel replied.

He stood there quietly, rubbing her arm slowly. The sun inched down, kissing the ocean. She lowered her head against his chest. His hearts beat under her ear, much quicker than her parents ever did. Four beats instead of the normal two. It reminded her that he was alien, but she wasn't disturbed by it. He was a nice alien. The nicest alien. And she loved his bow-tie.

The sun lowered down until it was half-hiding behind the unrealistic edge of the ocean line. She could see how people would think the earth was flat. It looked like the ocean just stopped, falling off the entire planet in one drastic waterfall.

The sun turned a bright red, like fire. Like her mothers hair. It was so amazing. The colors were so rich and vibrant. Movies couldn't even come close. It was all around her. Red and purple and blue and the Doctor. It was the most amazing moment of her life. The most amazing thing that would ever happen to her.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. What an odd thing for a little girl to think. She had her whole life ahead of her. Yes, this was special, but certainly there would be more special moments.

"Are you cold?" The Doctor spoke up. His arm pulled her closer to him.

She shook her head, but didn't pull away. He helped her feel safe. She didn't want to leave just yet. He didn't talk again until after the sun set. It was nice. Not that she minded when he talked. He always used such funny words and wonderful phrases. Everything about him was original and fun and new. But this moment, she was happy just to be with him. He wasn't her family, and she'd really only just met him, but already she felt like he was one of the most important people in her life. Her Doctor. Her friend. Her only friend. He would keep her safe.

The sun lowered, slowly seeping behind the ocean. Just before the last spark of the sun faded away, the sky seemed to explode with color. The light reflected off the shimmering water. Fire red like her hair. Blue ocean. Purple. Gold and aquamarine. Just like in the Tardis.

Rixel took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her first sunset. Amazing. How had she lived without ever being outside before? The air was so big and open. And the sky...it was so marvelous. The first star appeared in the sky above her head. It twinkled.

His head lowered down next to her ear and whispered. "I think I hear them serving dinner."

Rixel smiled. Yeah, she was hungry. And a big fancy dinner? That sounded wonderful. She lifted her head and nodded.

He smiled at her. Slowly, they started to move. Rixel stepped down off the railing. They held hands and walked towards the doors. Far away, a smell of wonderful food hit Rixel. It was savory and thick and made her stomach rumble. It was the most wonderful smell she'd ever smelled.

As they walked towards the doors to go back inside, a man burst out in front of them. He was clutching his chest. His eyes were wide and his mouth open.

The Doctor jumped back, placing a hand in front of Rixel.

The man pushed passed them and raced to the railing. He leaned over it, vomiting into the ocean.

Rixel scrunched up her nose and looked away.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, raising a finger to the air.

As he spoke, another man came running out of the same door. He, too, ran to the railing and started to vomit. From inside, the sounds of coughing and moaning could be heard.

The Doctor looked down at Rixel. "On second thought, let's skip dinner. Don't think the meal is that great."

Rixel snickered. It shouldn't be funny, but it was.

The Doctor took Rixel by the hand and lead her into the ship. The sounds of people being sick came from almost every direction. As they walked down the hall, people rushed passed them, hands covering their mouths. One woman was collapsed in the corner. Her skin was almost purple.

Rixel tightened her grip on the Doctor's hand. It didn't seem that funny anymore. "What happened?"

"Shell-fish reaction." The Doctor said, but Rixel could tell he was lying. He was lying and he almost seemed scared. "Never eat bad shell-fish, Rixel."

She nodded, stepping closer to him as they walked. They walked through the halls quickly. If the halls weren't filled with the sick, they were crowed with those who were healthy and scared of getting sick. The thing was, Rixel couldn't help but stare at those who were sick. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't help herself. And the more and more she looked at them, the more she realized they all had red freckles on their face.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked a woman standing in the hall. She didn't have red freckles, but she looked terrified.

The woman shook her head. "I-I don't know! One minute things were fine, the next was horror!"

The Doctor brushed passed her. Rixel trotted along behind. The two of them made their way downstairs towards second class. After running in a few rooms and finding that most people were ok, they found their way out onto a veranda.

The air was cold. Rixel shivered, wanting to stay inside. The sky was completely dark now. Not even a trace of red remained along the edge of the ocean.

"Doctor?" Rixel's teeth chattered.

The Doctor looked up and down the veranda. A ways up from them were a couple curled up against the side of the boat. At first, Rixel thought they were hugging each other to stay warm. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she realized their skin wasn't the right color. And their faces had red spots all over them. And they weren't moving.

Rixel cried out and turned her head away. She heard vomiting from the other end of the veranda. Her eyes squeezed shut and she hugged herself.

"Come on."

She felt the Doctor push her back inside. He pried her hand free and grasped it tightly. He started to walk, but Rixel didn't move.

"We have to keep moving, Rixel."

She shook her head, eyes still closed.

He sighed, kneeling down in front of her. "I know you're scared, but you have to trust me. I need you to keep moving. We need to find out what's happening so we can stop it. That's what I do. I'm the Doctor."

Rixel opened one eye and glared at him. This was suppose to be a trip with no monsters. Just like the zoo. She didn't like this.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I swear. But right now we have to keep moving."

She snorted. The little girl inside of her wanted to flop down on the ground and not move. But that's not what the Doctor would do. He'd be brave and save everybody. So she needed to be brave for him.

Rixel paused, then nodded. For him, she would at least try to be brave.

"Good." He smiled weakly at her, then got back up to his feet.

* * *

Everywhere they went on the ship there seemed to be those that were sick. In reality, there wasn't that many people sick. It just seemed like it because everyone was in a mass panic. Eventually people seemed to calm down enough to talk to the Doctor. Rixel listened in as people said that their friends or family were just fine one minute, then sick the next. Their skin turned purple. Blood came out of their mouths and nose. And then they died.

Only one person mentioned the red freckles. Rixel looked up at the Doctor, but he didn't seem to notice that detail.

After talking to several people, the Doctor lead them upstairs. They burst through doors and found themselves back outside. Rixel shivered as they trotted across the desk. The stars were so bright in the sky above her she could almost see perfectly.

Rixel found herself being pulled up the white spiral staircase and into the control room that was nowhere as near as cool as the Tardis.

"What are you doing?" A man yelled as they barged in.

The Doctor ignored him and looked around at the Captain. "Excuse me, Captain. But we have a problem. It seems there is a disease on board that is spreading. Now I've talked to some of the passengers and I think-"

"Oh, save your complaining for someone who cares." The Captain grumbled loudly. He pushed over towards the Doctor . The Captains eyes narrowed, silently threatening the Doctor to keep talking. "I've got enough to deal with without you showing off to your little girl here! You came here once, now be gone! I don't care about your comments!"

"Well, you're not as nice as I would have expected." That was the Doctors only reply.

"Get out!" The Captain yelled.

"Come along, Rix." The Doctor took her hand, shooting a disturbed look at the Captain.

She had to be brave. Brave for the Doctor. Rixel pushed him away and stepped forward. She pulled down on the Captains sleeve as hard as she could. He didn't even flinch, but it got his attention.

"You listen to me!" She snapped. Did her voice sound that squeaky all the time? "People are sick and dieing out there! You can't just ignore it! They get sick and turn purple and die and if you don't do something quick everyone is going to die. Even you!"

Both the Doctor and the Captain stared down at the little girl. She swallowed. What was she suppose to do now? They looked like they expected her to keep talking, but she didn't know what to do. They were the grown-ups! They needed to act. She rolled her eyes. "Quarantine the sick and get a medical staff on them!"

"What are you talking about?" The Captain finally managed to speak.

"She's right." The Doctor stepped in. "There's some sort of disease that's spreading around the ship. People get violently sick, and it appears to be leading to death. It's spreading, too. We need to separate those that are sick so it doesn't keep spreading."

"This ship is massive!" The Captain looked at him with wide eyes. "How in the hell do you expect to do that?"

Rixel looked between the two of them as they stared in silence. After a moment, she spoke up. "I...I have an idea."

* * *

The little red-headed child led the Doctor and the Captain down towards the first class dining hall. She could still hear people getting sick, but for the most part the sound had tapered off. She hoped it wasn't too late. She wasn't sure just how good this was going to work.

"What exactly are we doing?" The Captain grumbled. His hand was over his mouth, apparently afraid of catching the sickness.

"Rixel knows." The Doctor said. He hadn't even questioned her. He just followed.

They walked over towards a table where a group of people were sitting. Two of them looked pale, but not the way that the sick looked. Three had red freckles. One young woman had purple skin. Rixel grabbed the woman with the purple skin and motioned the Doctor over. He came over to her without a thought.

"Ok." Rixel said, nodding towards the woman. "Go ahead."

"What?" The Doctor looked at her confused.

"Go ahead." She gestured again. "Use your thingy."

"My...thingy?" He asked, still confused.

"What is all this nonsense?" The Captain said. His eyes were glancing around the room with a slight terror. Though no one in this room was dead yet, it looked a bit like a horror movie.

"You're, um." Rixel shut her eyes for a moment as she thought. "Sonic screwdriver."

"This?" The Doctor pulled the long thin metal tube out of his tweed jacket. "What am I suppose to do with this?"

She grinned. "Heal her, of course."

"Heal? Oh, Rixel. I-I can't." The Doctor face dropped suddenly. "I can't do that."

"No, you can." She argued. "You're a Doctor. My back. You healed me, remember? I was all scratched and Martha went to go put a bandage on it but you healed me."

All the Doctor could do was look at her. A mixture of sadness and hurt waved across his face.

Someone off in the corner moaned loudly. In response, others started to cry out.

"We need to do something!" The Captain muttered. "If you're a Doctor, hurry and heal this woman, now!"

"I can't!" The Doctor stood back up and looked at the Captain. "I can't just as you can't!"

"Yes, you can!" Rixel snapped back. She'd seen it before. Why was he denying it?

The Captain stiffened up. His voice grew loud. "Sir, if you can do something then I order you as-"

"I. Can. Not. Do. Anything!" The Doctor yelled. He leaned slightly forward towards the Captain, almost threateningly. "These people are carrying a disease, a very bad disease. The Sunstar disease. And if they get to the mainland of America, it will be a pandemic of epic proportions. I can't cure them. I can't save them. I can't do anything! You're the Captain! You do something!"

Rixel clenched her hands at her sides. This was no time for him to be modest. He was the Doctor and he could heal people. Sick people that were dieing. He needed to do something.

"Oh, you're right. I'll do something!" The Captain's face grew red. He turned on his heel and stormed off, back out of the room.

"What are you doing!" The Doctor turned his fury on to the little red-headed girl.

Angry, distraught, confused and scared with his new outburst, Rixel didn't know what to do. So she did what any six year old girl would do. She ran.

"Rixel, wait!" She heard the Doctor calling after her, but she didn't stop. She was smaller than him. Faster than him. She ran through doors and slipped through hallways faster than he could keep up. She was small, too. She hid down under a dining tray that was in the hall. A moment later, she saw his feet as he rushed by. When she heard the door at the other end of the hall open and close, she peered out to make sure he was gone. The coast was clear.

Sniffling, Rixel crawled out from under the dining tray. Her body trembled. She'd run away from the Doctor... no. He'd run away. He decided not to be the Doctor and to say he could do nothing. Well, if he wouldn't do anything - she would.

Rixel had no idea what she was doing. She ran through the halls, trying to gather up all the people she ran into. When she saw them, she told them to get themselves up to the First Class dining hall. The room wasn't large enough to hold everyone, but it was a start. Once she had a large group of people together, she'd make the Doctor heal them. And if he wouldn't, she'd steal his sonic screwdriver and do it herself.

She made her way down to the third class. The difference between this level and simply the one above astonished her. It was like living in the street! Rats ran along the halls. The ceiling leaked and the floor was slippery. Hay beds? The people were wearing clothes that reminded her of the patchwork collection of resown clothes from her own parents.

The little red-headed girl ran throughout what felt like the whole ship. She kept getting lost, so she was sure she missed places. Still, she ran. She told everyone she saw to go up to the dining hall. She ran and ran until her legs were ready to give up on her. Then, panting, she tried to find her way back upstairs.

It took a while for her to find it, but when she reached the dining hall she was surprised to find it packed with people. Good. She'd actually done her job. Not bad for a little girl.

"Rixel!"

She bit her lip and turned around slowly. Standing right there, with his arms folded across his chest, was the Doctor. Oh boy. From the look on his face she was in serious trouble. Still, no time for that now.

"I got them all here." She tried her best to look demanding. "Now, you have to heal them."

He watched her, his arms tightening up. After a moment, he slowly bent down to one knee in front of her. The anger was gone out of his eyes and he moved slowly. He raised one hand up and put it on her shoulder. "Oh, Rixel." He sighed, looking down at the ground.

That was it. She'd waited patiently. He wasn't going to help. She reached forward, slipping her hand into his tweed pocket. After half a second, her fingers clasped around the silver rod. She snatched it out, turning around towards the crowd.

The Doctor's voice came out just above a whisper behind her. "Rixel, that-"

Not wanting to hear his excuses, she ignore him. "Alright!" She yelled as loud as she could. She ran over to a chair nearby and jumped up on top of it. Even standing on the chair she was too short to be at eye level with the crowd. Still, it would have to do. "Listen up!"

The crowd, surprisingly, started to calm down. Coughs and groans were still heard, but the chattering stopped.

She held up the sonic screwdriver to her eyes. From what she could tell, it only had one button. Great. This was easier than she expected. "I need you to all look over here, okay? This will make everyone better!"

Three things happened at once.

One, Rixel pressed the button. A bright green light buzzed out of the tip as she pointed it towards the crowd.

Two, The Doctor leaped towards her, trying to grab the sonic screw driver out of her hand.

And third, just a millisecond after the first two, with a loud, earth shattering sound, the entire ship shook violently.

Rixel was tossed off her chair and onto the floor. Screams pierced her ears as the floor beneath her jolted. Screams and what sounded like screeching metal. She rolled off to the side, narrowly missing as a table crashed up against the wall.

She felt someone grab her under her arms. Behind her, the Doctor was trying to pull her to her feet. The floor was so unstable the two of them couldn't stay up. The floor rattled and groaned until they both finally gave up and collapsed onto the floor.

The groaning stopped. The ship slowly rocked back into place. And the lights flickered.


	16. To the Captain

**Titanic, 1912**

Rixel's head felt like it was exploding. Pain seared through her forehead. She blinked, trying to look out over the room. People were groaning and coughing and crying. If the scene was horrific before, it was beyond hell now.

"What happened?" She looked over at the Doctor. He, too, didn't look so great. He grabbed the side of his head and winced as he sat up. The lights continued to flicker above them, but they didn't go out.

He frowned. "I think the Titanic just hit the iceberg."

Rixel stared at him for a moment. What was he talking about? Oh! Right! The ship sinks! Her heart started to pound. No, no no! That wasn't fair! She needed to save all the sick people! There was no time!

"Come on." The Doctor winced again as he got to his feet.

She stood up with little problem, but her head still hurt. And she was a little woozie. She grabbed his hand, steadying herself.

Silently, the Doctor lead her out into the hall. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she was certain it was the Tardis. Now that the ship had hit the iceberg it would sink. She felt her chest tightened as she thought of all those people they were leaving behind. They were so sick. And it was all her fault.

Rixel stopped dead in her tracks. She did it so suddenly that the Doctor nearly walked off without her. He spun around, watching her carefully. "What? Are you you okay? You alright?"

Her fault? Where had that come from. Of course it wasn't her fault. She wasn't sick. She didn't get these people sick. Why would she even think for a second that this was her fault?

"Rixel? We have to go." The Doctor said. His anger was completely gone, but his impatience was growing.

Rixel took in a deep breath. Just a strange thought. Not a big deal. Sometimes people think weird things. It didn't mean anything. She stepped forward, grabbing the Doctor's hand.

To her surprise, he led her back outside. Back up the white spiral staircase. But instead of going into the control room, they waited on the deck just outside. The small tiny desk that looked out over the ocean in front of them.

It was cold. Colder than she'd ever felt. Rixel's teeth started to chatter. It was such a strange new feeling that she almost was happy about it. But she was too worried and scared and cold to really think about it.

A moment later, the Captain stepped out onto the desk.

The Doctor didn't even turn to look at him. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" The Captain's voice was thick and hung in the air. The wind whistled past them, chilling all three. Beyond them, the ocean waved all too quietly.

"Why'd I hit the ship?" The Captain muttered a moment later with what almost seemed to be a laugh. "Because you told me to do something."

The Doctor stiffened.

Rixel didn't understand. "You purposefully crashed the ship?"

"If what you say is true. If this...this disease is powerful enough to wipe out an entire country like it's going through my ship, then there was no other choice."

"There are people down there!" The Doctor snapped.

"And they'll all be dead soon anyway!" The Captain roared. "By sickness or sinking! Either way! And I for one, would rather find a way out of this!"

"But...how?" Rixel's teeth chattered as she spoke. Her breath was fogging up in front of her. Again, something she would normally be so excited to see was wasted at this moment.

"We perform checks. Those that are healthy can get on the lifeboats. Those that are sick stay behind." The Captain's eyes were black. His face was red, but serious.

"Are you insane!" The Doctor wheeled around in a circle.

The Captain rolled his shoulders back. "Not at all."

"That's a horrible idea!" The Doctor said. "Absolutely horrible. Who are you to choose who lives and who dies?"

Rixel looked away. Who was he...? No, who was the Doctor? He was the one who refused to heal them.

"I'm the Captain!" The man retaliated. "This is my ship! I'll do whatever I can to keep the passengers safe!"

"By sinking the ship and killing them!" The Doctor groaned. "Oh, this is so stupid!"

"Stop yelling!" Rixel screamed. Her patience was gone. Her fingers were so cold they felt like they were going to snap and her ears burned and gave her a headache. "Just shut up!"

The Captain raised the back of his hand up in the air. "Don't you yell at me-"

"Stop." The Doctor reached up and grabbed the Captains.. He then turned to Rixel. "Don't you dare. She is smarter than you'll ever be and she's only a little girl. If you even think about looking at her again, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your short little life."

Even though he was defending her, the Doctor terrified Rixel. She'd never seen him like that before. Even was he was upset with her, he never spoke like that. His body never radiated such anger before. He no longer looked like the bow-tie Doctor she loved.

"Stop it!" She cried, burring her frozen fingers into her cold cheeks. She sobbed quietly to herself for a while, praying the tears wouldn't freeze her eyes shut. She shivered, only adding to her being upset. No, the Doctor hasn't taken her to see a monster, but he was close to being one. It scared her.

After a while, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Knowing it was the Doctor, she brushed him away. A moment later, his hand was back on her shoulder. She continued to brush him off a few more times before giving in. She stepped forward without opening her eyes and fell into his hug.

"I'm so sorry, Rixel." He spoke softly in her ears. His fingers weaved in her hair, gently brushing it. "I'm so, so sorry."

She tried to stop crying, but it was hard. She heard the Captain leave, which was good, but she was still upset at the Doctor. Upset at how he wouldn't heal the people. Upset at how he could get so angry. Upset how all she could ever do was cry.

"Shh, it's okay." The Doctor pushed her back slightly and kissed her forehead. "You're safe. Don't worry."

"But what about everyone else?" Rixel managed to choke out. Her throat felt like it was closing in on itself.

"I'll figure something out." He said, lifting her chin up. "Trust me. I'm the Doctor."

Rixel rubbed her hand across her eyes. She hated being the crier. She always cried. And then the Doctor always had to stop and calm her down. It was a horrible endless cycle and she hated it. She swallowed, forcing the tears back down and looked up at him.

The only light was the stars above them, and they weren't that bright. Still, standing so close to him, she could see his face well. Those large, round brown eyes that stared back at her with worry and protection. His large ears that almost seemed to wiggle on their own. His floppy hair that almost covered his eyes. His cheeks speckled with red spots.

Rixel froze. The fog from her breath stopped coming out of her mouth. Her hands lay still at her sides. She stared at him with eyes that slowly grew wide.

"What? What's wrong?" The Doctor's own eyes started to grow. "Rixel? What it is? Are you okay?"

Her bottom lip trembled, shortly followed by her exhale. She tried to step back, but the balcony was too small for her to move away.

The Doctor only grew more concerned. "Rixel, what's wrong? You have to tell me. I can't help if you don't tell me."

No. Not him. He couldn't be sick. She needed him. He wasn't allowed to get sick. He had to stay healthy and not die and be with her forever, just like she promised. He had to take her to visit her parents and to the zoo and to see the planets and the stars.

"Please, what's wrong?"

Rixel twitched. He didn't know. He couldn't know. If he knew, he might give up. She forced herself to shake her head. After a moment, she managed to breath out some semblance or words. "Not-nothing. I'm...I'm fine."

"You're lying to me." The Doctor stared at her, but he wasn't angry. He looked almost scared.

"No." Rixel closed her eyes and shook her head. The spots remained in her vision, but at least she could speak without looking at him. "I'm just scared. I want to go home."

She felt him hug her again. Over and over she repeated in her head that the spots she saw were fake. It was too dark to really see. Maybe he always had freckles and she just never noticed. He was fine. Her Doctor wasn't sick.

"Let's get you back to the Tardis." The Doctor said, standing back up.

"What about the people?" Rixel asked. She tucked her hands into her armpits, making it look like it was for warmth. In reality, she was too scared to hold his hand.

"You're more important."

"No." Rixel spoke firmly. Her voice surprised her as much as it did the Doctor. "We can't just leave them."

"Rixel, you're too scared. You said you just wanted to go home."

She forced herself to look up at him. Even in the pale starlight, the spots seemed to glow red. "We have to do something."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. After a moment, he gave in. "Fine. We'll see what we can do. But we leave before the ship even comes close to sinking. I'm not risking your life."

Rixel nodded. "Fine."


	17. Sunstar Pandemic

**Titanic, 1912**

Four gun shots fired up into the air above them. The noise was so loud, Rixel could swear she still heard them long after they were fired, ringing in her ears. She blinked several times, though there was no flash of light. There was hardly any light, really.

"I said, women and children first!"

The man standing next to the boat screamed so hard Rixel could see his veins on the side of his neck. Even with him yelling so loud, the crowd was too large and too noisy for his voice to carry. Even after the gunshot, people were only screaming. Hardly anyone paid attention to him as they pushed past to get to the lifeboats.

"No, that one's sick!" One of the loaders called out.

There was a gasp as the crowd backed away from the woman trying to board the boat.

"No! No, I'm not! I'm fine!" The woman's face was red. She coughed several times. "I just have a cold."

"Move away!" Another man came over and pushed the woman aside.

Rixel turned towards the Doctor. He was watching over everything with a frown. She felt like joining him in that. This was awful. She thought that making sure the boats were getting loaded would help her feel better, but it wasn't. It was only making her feel worse.

"We can't save everyone." The Doctor spoke softly, but Rixel still managed to hear him. Even above all the noise and screaming and crying, she heard him as if he was the only person in the world.

She looked towards one of the boats that was being lowered. It was packed with people who looked terrified. And they should be. Rixel had no idea if anyone would ever find them to rescue them. She thought that there was a rescue in the movie, but she couldn't remember. It didn't matter. There was no epidemic in the movie. Real life was different.

"We've seen enough." The Doctor said, grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

The ship rocked hard to it's side, sending the boat that was being lowered crashing into the side of the ship. Luckily all the people were able to stay on board, but Rixel was able to get a good look at them as they scrambled to hold on. Two of the people had red freckles on their face.

She glanced up at the Doctor. His own freckles were bright red. She was too young to understand what was going on, but she knew that it would eventually lead to the sickness. Her Doctor was sick. And so were the people on the boat.

Rixel dropped the Doctors hand and started running. She heard him cry for her behind, but she didn't stop. She wasn't going far. He could easily find her. She ran, pushing her way through the crowd. Every once in a while the ship would rock hard and she'd fall into a way or slip on the deck. It didn't matter. She didn't stop.

She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, towards the Captain. His white beard edged the open, screaming mouth as he tried to retain order in the chaos. Rixel tried to stop running, but she slipped and ran right into him. At least it got his attention.

"Get on the boat, child!" The Captain yelled. His voice didn't lower, even though she was standing right there.

"No, wait!" Rixel put up her hands. "You have to check for red freckles!"

"What?" The Captain looked down at her. "Get on the boat!"

"No!" She stomped her foot. "Listen to me!"

"There's no time!"

"The red freckles!" She yelled, pointing at one in the crowd. "It's an early sign on the sickness!"

The Captain paused for a moment. Then he spoke quietly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I only just started to notice the pattern, but those that are sick have the freckles. All of them."

The Captain looked back up at the crowd scanning. So many people had red flecks across their cheeks. Almost half. "Child, if you're wrong..."

"I'm not." She glared back at him. She wished she wasn't. Oh, how she wished, just this once, that she was so very wrong. "Push them aside. Make them load last. If they still aren't sick, let them on."

"And risk infecting an entire country?" The Captain snorted. "No. Change in boarding!"

He walked away from her. She tried to call after him, but he was done with her. She wasn't sure what just happened. Did she just make things worse?

"Rixel!" The Doctor finally caught up with her. "What are you doing? Don't run off like that! Not on the Titanic! While it's sinking!"

She tried to smile at him, but it came out looking confused.

The boat rocked hard again. Rixel lost her balance and fell to the floor. The crowd around them screamed, grabbing onto one another to keep from being flung into the boat.

"We need to go." The Doctor's face grew dark. "Now."

Rixel nodded. She'd told the Captain about the freckles. Hopefully they would be loaded last in case they were sick. Oh, she hoped she was wrong.

The Doctor pulled her through the crowd, keeping her close. For the first time, she didn't want to hold his hand. Not that he gave her the option, but she didn't know what to do. If he was sick, she could catch it from him. She didn't want to be sick. And she didn't want him to be sick, either.

They pushed through the door and made their way downstairs. The ship groaned and cracked around them so loud Rixel was surprised it didn't break apart all at once. Hardly anyone was down below the desk. Well, no one alive. They would pass an occasional person or two, but they were all running up. Up and out. Only they were going down.

The Doctor rounded a corner and stopped suddenly. Rixel crashed into the back of his legs, then staggered back.

"Oh, this is not good."

Rixel leaned around him to find the stairs leading down into water. She jumped back, pushing herself against the stairwell. The floor was underwater. How far was the Tardis? Was it on this floor? Was it further down?

The Doctor spun around, dropping to her level. He spoke fast, gasping for breath between words. "I need you to stay here. Right here. Don't even more. I have to go down and make sure the Tadis is there. When I find it, I will move it to a safer spot. But I need you to stay here! If you wonder off, I might not be able to find you in time."

Her eyes grew wide. He was going to leave her! Here? NOW? She grabbed his hard with both her hands. "N-No!"

He shook his head. Even as he spoke he was turning back towards the water. "This isn't up for discussion! Just stay here and wait for me to get back!"

She kept trying to grab onto him, but he pushed her away. "Please! You can't leave me here!"

He looked down at the water. "I'll be right back."

She tried to grab for him again, but he slipped through her fingers, diving into the water. Rixel screamed and jumped forward. She landed in the water, falling full under. The water was like ice, clinging to her skin and freezing her. Her foot found the bottom of the step and she pushed up. As her head came above the water line, she gasped for air. Her toes just barely scrapped alone the bottom of the step, but she couldn't take another step forward. Not without going under again.

Her feet kicked furiously as her arms splashed in the water. She tried to move forward, but every time she took her foot off the step, she found herself completely emerged again. The water froze her eyes every time she tried to open them. She flung her arms in every direction, trying to keep afloat, but it was no use. She couldn't swim.

Her foot caught the step again, and she pushed herself up. Her hands clasped around the railing and she dragged herself back up to the dry stairwell. Even out of the water, she was freezing. Her clothes cling to her, soaking wet, while her hair dripped frozen droplets on her cheeks and arms. Rixel curled up in the corner. Her teeth were chattering so hard she thought they might shatter. Her eyes burned from the cold, but she rarely blinked. All she could do was stare at the water. He'd come back for her. He had to.

A moment later, he did come back. There was a shadow in the water, then he burst out, coughing, as he collapsed on the floor next to Rixel. She crawled over to him, grabbing his arm. He was even colder than she was, but she still wanted to hold him.

"Don't you leave me like that again!" She cried.

He gasped for air, clutching his chest. After a few deep breaths, he shook his head.

"What?" She grmbled.

"I can't." The Doctor gasped. "I can't get to it."

"What do you mean you can't get to it?" Rixel asked. Her heart started to thump loudly in her chest.

He shook his head again. "The door. I can't open it. It's completely submerged."

Rixel stared at him. "So fix it!"

"I can't!" His head snapped up and he stared at her with those fearful angry eyes. The eyes he had the night before. The eyes of the other Doctor. The red freckles on his cheeks seemed to be brighter than before.

Rixel whimpered. She couldn't help it. This was the Doctor and he was suppose to make her feel safe and he wasn't. He was scaring her. She didn't want to be scared. She wanted to be safe in the Tardis.

The boat rocked hard to the side. They flew backwards, tumbling up against the wall. Rixel managed not to hit her head, but with how cold her body was, she felt like the hit would shatter every bone in her body. Next came the water, spilling up from the stairs and splashing over them.

The Doctor hugged her, pulling her into his lap. They were both shaking from the cold. The water from the stairs finally receded, but it seemed to be higher than it was before.

"I have an idea."

Rixel lifted her head up to look at the Doctor. His eyes were still scared, and his freckles were red, but he had a faint smile. She tried to return the smile, but her teeth were chattering so hard she couldn't move her lips.

"It's crazy. It's down right stupid and will probably get us killed, but it's an idea."

"What?" She asked.

Slowly, he put her off his lap and got to his feet. He then helped her get up. "We have to get to the other side of the hallway." He motioned back up the stairs. "If we are over there when the ship breaks, the water will recede. We'll have a small window of opportunity, but the Tardis will be open. If we can get to it, we can get out."

Rixel shook her head. She had no idea what he was talking about. "I trust you."

"Do you?" He stopped, looking down at her.

She shivered. Looking up at him, all she could see were the freckles. Those horrible death sentences. And there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't even know what would come next. Or when. How long did she have left with her Doctor?

He sighed, then they walked up the stairs.


	18. The Titanic Sinks

**Titanic, 1912**

Rixel's ears were burning. She was so very cold, but her ears burned and ached. With every groan of the ship, with every chatter of her teeth, her eardrums felt like they were exploding. While they waited, the Doctor tried to dry them off with the sonic screwdriver, but she didn't think it was working.

His hair was wet. His clothes were mostly dry, but his hair keep dripping on everything. His lips were blue and the freckles seemed to be spreading. There were more of them now, Rixel could tell that much. They were all under his eyes and down his cheeks to his chin. How much longer until he started coughing? Or throwing up? Or...dead?

The boat rocked sharp to the side. She staggered up against the wall, but managed to stay standing. "What are we waiting for?"

"Almost there." His voice was soft. "When the boat tips sideways."

"Like, that way?" Rixel pointed off to the side of the stairwell. Doing so would push all the water off to the side, but they wouldn't be able to reach the rooms on the other side of the hall.

He shook his head.

The ship shuddered again. This time, a wave of water flooded towards them. Rixel tried to jump out of the way, but the water was too high. It rushed over her knees, freezing her legs once more.

The Doctor held onto her. "Rixel, when I say so, hold your breath."

"What?" The water came back towards them in a wave, this time reaching her waist.

"On three, ready?"

"No!"

"One..."

"No, I'm not ready! Doctor!" Rixel yelled. She lifted her arms as the water rushed up her chest.

"Two..."

"Doctor!"

"Three!"

Rixel took in a giant breath as a wave crashed over her head. She instantly lost all sense of where she was. Her body flipped around, tumbling in the water that was so cold she couldn't move. Her arm jerked and her body followed after it. She couldn't see a thing. Her arm jerked again and she was being pulled along. She couldn't tell if it was the Doctor pulling her or the water. Either way, it didn't matter. The cold was so overwhelming. She could feel her heart slowly down. Her lungs burned for the need of new oxygen, but she couldn't. All she could do was tumble in the darkness as she was jerked along. Fire raced through her body as her insides screamed for air. She was almost ready to give up, to open her mouth and swallow the ocean, when they broke through the water.

Rixel gasped for breath as her feet kicked to find a place to stand. Her arm jerked once more, and she tumbled down out of the water. She fell almost 10 feet before hitting a ground. A solid ground. It was wet but at least she was no longer emerged.

The Doctor stood up, coughing out water next to her.

Rixel rubbed her eyes, trying to get the ice out of them. She blinked several times until the room finally came into focus. It was dark. All the lights were out. The only light they had was the green glow from the Doctors sonic screwdriver. They were in the bedroom from before. Except instead of being on the floor, they were sitting on the wall. Water raced down the floor and walls on the sides of them in a thin stream. Next to them, on the wall...which was now the floor to them... was all the furniture in a tossed pile. On top of that was the Tardis. "How are we on the wall?"

The Doctor frowned. "The ships on it's side."

"What?" Rixel asked.

"No time." The Doctor raced over and pulled open the Tardis door. It was on it's side, with the door on top. He turned and grabbed Rixel by the waist. He lifted her up and dropped her into the open door.

At first, she fell. But only a little. Then the world seemed to flip around and she was sitting on the floor of the Tardis. Perfectly fine. Rixel turned to see the Doctor climbing into the Tardis. As he righted himself back up, water started to flood into the Tardis.

Rixel tried to stand, but the flood crashed into her. The cold water tossed her back into a metal bar, hitting her head. Her eyes flashed and sparked. She tried to kick herself away, but the water kept crashing into her. A moment later, it stopped.

The Doctor ran over to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Ow." Rixel mumbled. She blinked, but the stars wouldn't go away.

"Hold on." He jumped back up and ran off.

Rixel rolled her head. A thousand lights seemed to be going off behind her eyes. The pain was like electricity, surging through the cold water in her body. Every time she tried to move, she could feel the thin layer of ice on her skin shatter.

Then the golden warmth came over it. It wasn't hot enough to chase away the cold, but it was there. She could feel her chest swell with it. Somewhere in the background, she could hear the Tardis humming as the Doctor flew them away to safety.

"You okay?"

Rixel opened her eyes to see the Doctor next to her. He was soaking wet, pointing his sonic screwdriver at her. His eyes weren't the scary eyes anymore, but the freckles were still there.

She nodded, rolling her head off to the side. "I'm so cold."

"I know." He reached over behind her and grabbed a blanket. She felt it placed over her, but it didn't feel warm. "You need to go change out of your clothes."

"I can't. I'm too cold."

"Yes, you can. Come on."

Unable to argue, Rixel felt herself jerked up into a standing position. She wobbled for a moment, but then seemed to balance out. She blinked some more. The stars were starting to fade away and she could see her Doctor. Why was it every time she looked at him there seemed to be more and more freckles?

He pushed her up the stairs. Eventually she found herself making her own way to her room. She heard the Doctor veer off down another hall behind her. She sighed. Please don't let him see the freckles. She didn't want him to be scared.

* * *

Once she was changed and dried off, Rixel headed back to the control panel room. Her fingers and toes still felt like ice, but she was warm. She stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down as the Doctor raced around the control panel. The moment he saw her, he stopped. His hands pulled back from the controls as he looked over her.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded in reply.

"Good." He paused for a second. "I'm sorry that-" He stopped. His face grew slightly red for a second, then he started coughing.

Rixel didn't even think. She ran down to him and grabbed his leg.

He stopped coughing and looked down at her shocked. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him. His face was still covered in freckles, but he didn't look sick. "I don't want you to be sick."

"I'm not sick." He smiled weakly at her. "Just got a cough. Probably from the cold."

She buried her head back into his leg. "Just use your sonic screwdriver on yourself. Please?"

The Doctor lowered down to he knees beside her. "Rixel, you know that doesn't work like that. My sonic screwdriver can't heal people." He patted her shoulder. "But it's okay. I'm not sick."

Her hand reached up and touched his cheek. She couldn't help it. She started to trace the spots on his face. "You have the freckles. All the sick people had them too."

"Freckles?" The Doctor made a silly face. "I do not."

She knew he was trying to cheer her up, but she didn't feel like laughing. "Are you going to die?"

"Oh, Rixel." He hugged her. "I'm not going to die. I'm fine, really."

As he finished his statement, he pushed her back and started coughing again.

"They had the freckles and they died." She said quietly when he stopped.

"It was a bit odd, yeah." He said, obviously missing her point. "The Sunstar virus. Incredibly dangerous and highly contagious. It shouldn't have been there. It couldn't have been there. How did it get there?"

That's when she started to feel the burning in her chest. The locket was heating up again.

"No!" She cried out, grabbing onto the locket. "No, I can't go yet! I don't want you to die!"

He looked over at her. "You're going now?"

She held her hand out, the locket fusing to her skin. Before she knew was she was doing, she grabbed the Doctors hand in hers. She could feel the pain of the locket racing through her, but she didn't care. It wasn't the pain she was worried about, it was the Doctor. She kept her eyes fixed on his, not wanting to lose him. If she had to leave, she wanted to see this Doctor for as long as she could.

But then the pain vanished. Only the pain. The Doctor was still right there next to her.

Rixel blinked. What just happened? She looked around. Same Tardis. Same Doctor. She hadn't moved.

"I...I'm still here!" She gasped.

His eyes widened. "How did you do that? You've never been able to do that before."

"I don't know!" She almost laughed. "I just, didn't want to go and-" She stopped, staring at the Doctor. She'd been so scared about leaving and then happy about staying she hadn't even noticed. How long had he been like that? She knew for a fact that only moments ago there were red freckles all over his face. Lots and lots of them. But not now. No, now his face was clear.

"Your freckles!" Rixel gasped.

"What?" He looked at her, confused.

"Did I jump, then? Did I jump and you were just in the same spot? Are you younger?"

He shook his head. "You were here. Your locket started to burn, but then it stopped. You stayed here."

She nodded slowly. "But your spots are gone."

"Rixel, I never had any-"

"Yes, you did." She snapped back in a voice that was deeper than normal. She didn't feel like arguing. He had spots and now he didn't. It was a good thing.

He sighed. "Even if I did, even if it was a sign of me getting sick for some reason, things like that don't just disappear." He paused. "Unless..."

Rixel watched as his face flickered in though. "Unless what?"

"Can I see that?" He gestured to her locket.

Her hand clasped around it and she turned away.

"It's okay. I'll give it back." He waited, his hand open. When she didn't give it to him, he continued talking. "Think about it Rixel. This is the way you jump around. Ancient technology fused with futuristic chemistry. Huon energy and nanogenes. Maybe it has something to do with..."

"With what?" She glared at him over her shoulder. This was her mothers locket. So far he hadn't come through on his promise for her to visit her parents. She didn't know if she could trust him with her only keepsake.

"I promise, I'll give it back." He said again. "And you can watch. The whole time, you can keep your little eyes on it."

Rixel thought about it for a moment. He was right. This did seem to be the thing that was causing her to jump around in time. Maybe he could find out more about it. Maybe he could help her control it. That's what he did before, right? When she touched the locket to him as well, she was able to stay instead of leaving. She nodded and dropped the locket into his hands.

The Doctor rushed towards the control panel. He placed the locket on a small metal platter, then continued to run around and push buttons. Rixel watched, glancing between him and the locket. That golden warmth came back to her. Maybe that's what home felt like. She had the feeling whenever she was in the Tardis, and it seemed to grow stronger at certain times when she was with the Doctor. Maybe that 'home sweet home' feeling they talked about in the movies was the golden glow warmth she was getting. It always reminded her of the Tardis. She guessed it was possible the Tardis was her home. She had been there for several days now. She slept there. She had a room there. In a way, it was her only home for now.

"Oh, you clever girl." The Dotor grinned.

"What?" Rixel snapped back from her daydream.

"Your mother." The Doctor looked over at Rixel. "She was very smart, you know."

"She still is." Rixel said back.

The Doctor looked away. "Yeah."

"What did you find?" She bounced over next to him, never noticing the way he shifted slightly away from her.

"It's the C-14 compound. Not much, just a few cells, but enough to give you a head start on discovering the virus and how to cure it."

"Cure? What?" Rixel frowned. "C-14 wasn't even there yet. I think they were only on C-13 or 12 or something."

He picked the locket up and turned it over in his hand. "It's how you cure the Sunstar and stop the Requiem."

"What's the requiem?" It sounded familiar, but more like a dream than anything important.

He looked over at her. "Nothing, don't worry about it yet."

"Doctor." Rixel grumbled.

He paused. He muttered, lost in thought. "I think that's where it came from."

"Where what came from?" She reached her hand up for her locket, but he didn't give it back.

"Of course, if that's the case, where else has it spread to?"

"Doctor!" Rixel jumped up and tried to swipe the locket back from him.

He stepped back, then looked down at her again. "Right. Sorry." He handed the locket to her.

As it touched her skin, she could feel it burning again. "Ow!" She opened her fingers to let it fall, but the locket was fused against her skin again.

"No, no! Make it stop!" She shook her hand again.

The Doctor grabbed her hand with his own, just like he did before. But the pain wasn't fading. It was only getting worse. Rixel tried to keep her eyes open, but this pain was too intense, too much for her. She squeezed them shut, curling over. She bit her lip, refusing to cry.

"Don't worry, Rixel. I promise you, I'll figure this out. I'll fix it all somehow." The Doctor spoke in a rush.

But it was okay, really. She didn't want to go, but it was okay. Because he no longer had red freckles.


	19. The Dream Lord

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas, 2049**

Rixel stepped back from the desk and nodded. In front of her was a plethora of maps, all of the area, surrounding her. Though it seemed like enough information, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. One small part that would fix everything. But what?

She sighed and looked up at the mirror hanging above the desk. She always had a mirror around. There were several in her bags and in her pockets. They were important. She couldn't risk getting the red freckles and not knowing until it was too late. So far, she'd been safe, but how long that would last, she didn't know.

Her eyes were tired. She'd been running for so long. Her arms were dreadfully thin and ran down her sides weakly. She knew she was still a child, but she felt so much older. She had so much more responsibility now. She was nine, and the only chance the human race had at survival.

"You found it yet?"

Rixel turned to see her friend Amy Pond poking her head into the room. She smiled at the mutual red-head. "I think I found a way in, but there seems to be a strange gap in the maps."

"You best hurry." Amy replied. "Rory's got all the weapons ready to go. But the wall won't hold forever. We need to get out of here."

Rixel nodded and gathered up the maps. Times like this, she wished they had some sort of computer. Not that they could risk it, but she still wished.

Rixel threw the maps into her oversized satchel and rushed out of the room. The hall was damp and dark. The single light flickered as the girls made their way over towards the stairs.

"Oi!" Amy called down the stone steps. The sound of dripping water echoes back up to them. "We're ready!"

"Be right there!" Rory's voice came up the stairs.

A deep whirring echo came from down the hall behind them. The girls spun around and stared.

"No, it can't be." Rixel's eyes grew wide. There was a strange golden warmth that surged up inside of her. It felt like the sun, but there was no sun down in this dungeon-like hall.

"Is that them?" Amy panicked.

"No." Rixel took a step towards the noise. A strange blue light glowed softly in the distance. "It's... not possible."

She didn't need to explain. Amy caught the familiar sight of the blue box at it materialized down at the end of the hall. Her hands raised to her mouth. "Doctor!"

"What's that?" Rory's voice came from the stairs, but the girls ignore him. They raced down the hall towards the Tardis.

The blue doors opened, revealing the Doctor. The tweed jacket, bow-tie wearing Doctor. Rixel felt her heart leap and she crashed into his arms.

The Doctor staggered back as Amy also grabbed him in a hug. "Whoa. Hello. Pond! Rixel!"

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Rixel cried, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Of course you'll see me again." The Doctor said, patting her back. "I'm like a bad rodent. I keep turning up."

Amy stepped back and smacked the Doctor. "You got here by mistake, didn't you."

"Yeah." He replied sheepishly.

"Doctor?" Rory came up behind them, a large weapon bag swung over his shoulder.

"Rory!" The Doctor stood up, but he kept a hand on Rixel's shoulder. He frowned when he saw the bag. "Guns? Oh, I thought I taught you better than that."

Amy smacked him again. "Look where we are!" She pointed at the dark, damp stone hallway. "We're at war! Yeah, we have guns. So do they!"

"They?" The Doctor asked. "They who? Where are we?"

"We're in Cherrybrooke." Rixel told him. "About 3 miles underground my parents house."

"Your parents house?" The Doctor's eye widened. "Rixel, you can't-"

The nine year old girl held up a hand. "I know. They're dead. It's okay."

"You know?" He mouthed.

She nodded. "And I forgive you. But right now we need to hurry. The Requiem is coming and-"

The Doctor shifted his eyes to all three of them. "The Requiem."

"Yes!" Amy sighed. "And if we don't get out of here now, they're going to burst through that door and kill us all. Come on!"

"We could just escape in the Tardis." The Doctor pointed behind him.

A chirping sound, like a bird, echoed down the hall. Rixel froze. If a bird could get in, what else could?

Amy shook her head. "We need to get to the lab. Rixel's so close."

"Do you heard that?" Rixel whispered. Suddenly, she felt tired. So very, very tired. How long had them been running? When did they last eat or sleep?

"A bird." Amy whispered back.

Rixel couldn't fight it anymore. The tiredness took over her body and she collapsed against the stone wall.

* * *

Her eyes flew open. Rixel gasped. She was on the Tardis, in the control room. It had been a dream. Only a dream. A very strange and weird dream, but only a dream.

She looked around and smiled when she saw the Doctor jump up. Next to him were two others she never seen before. But then again, she had seen them. Once, in a dream. They running together. Trying to escape some horribleness that was coming. Amy Pond and Rory Williams. But...how can she dream about people she'd never met before?

The Doctor raced over to Amy and gave her a hug. "You're okay. Oh, I had a terrible nightmare about you. Don't ask, you don't want to know. You're safe now."

"Ok." Amy said, rubbing her head.

"Blimey, never dropped off like that before." The Doctor shook his head. "Well, never. I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you. Now, what's wrong with the console? Red flashing light. I bet that means something."

Rixel glanced down to see the Doctor running around her in a circle. Strange. She'd never been here before. She was standing on top of the console, right in the center. Where that aquamarine tube was suppose to be. Her hand reached forward to touch him, but it hit glass. She was inside the tube? But...how? She glanced down at her hand. Her fist was just the tiniest bit too big. Had they always been that large? They seemed more like those of someone older than her. She was only six. These hands were those of...almost like her nine year old self from her dream.

"Doctor!" She slammed her fists on the glass, pounding as hard as she could. It didn't matter. No matter what she did, he didn't seem to notice her. Neither did Amy or Rory, either. Why couldn't they see her?

"Doctor, I also had a kind of nightmare thing." Rory spoke up.

"Yeah, so did I." Amy said.

"We were sneaking around." Rory looked over at Amy. "Trying to get to a lab to save the world."

"Yeah, in damp little hall underground."

Rixel watched as the Doctor backed away from the control and walked up to them.

"So you had the same dream then?" Rory asked.

"Yeah." Amy frowned and turned towards the Doctor. "And you showed up. And Rixel was there."

Rixel slammed her fists against the glass. How did Amy know her name? She'd never met her!

"How can we have the same dream?" Rory pondered. "What about you? What happened in your nightmare?"

"It was similar, in some aspects." The Doctor spoke slowly.

"Which aspects?"

"Well, all of them."

Rixel screamed and pounded on the glass again. Why wouldn't they pay attention to her! She was right here, stuck in the Tardis and they only needed to look up to see her! She needed to get out! She didn't like this, it was scary.

"You had the same dream." Amy said. She didn't even flinch as Rixel kicked at the glass.

"Basically." The Doctor said. "We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track. Forget it."

Rixel heard birds singing. Just like she did in her dream. She looked up, but there weren't any birds in the Tardis. That strange sleepy sensation came over her again. Why was she so tired?

"How come I can still heard that bird?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, the same bird from the hallway..." Rory dropped to his knees.

Rixel struggled to stay awake as she saw her friends fall into a slumber around her.

"Dream?" Rory blinked, lifting his head off the ground.

Rixel sat up. She was on the stone floor in the hallway. Wow. That was strange. She yawned. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was that tired."

"Yeah, me either." Amy rubbed her head. "Must be the lack of food. I was dreaming we were back on the Tardis."

"Yeah, us three." The Doctor spoke up. He looked at the stone wall, running his fingers over it. "Not Rixel, though."

"Yeah." Amy shook her head. "It was like, I had the feeling you were dead."

"Thanks." Rixel frowned. She hadn't been dead, she'd been there the whole time. Screaming and trying to get their attention. But they never noticed her. And she didn't know who they were. Still, it was a dream. Dreams were weird like that.

"Listen to me. Trust nothing." The Doctor turned and looked at them all. His face was long and serious. "From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel."

"But we're awake now." Rory said.

"You thought you were awake on the Tardis, too." The Doctor replied.

"But we're in the middle of a war." Amy said, she reached out and grabbed Rixel's hand. "And Rixel's here. She's obviously not dead."

"Yeah, you're here. You're also dreaming. Trouble is, gang, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards?"

Rixel jolted awake. She reached forward, her hands pressing against glass. They were back in the Tardis. As soon as she was fully awake, the Tardis seemed to power down. She could barely see what was going on down below her.

"This is bad." The Doctor groaned. His hand gripped controls down below Rixel. "I don't like this."

"What wrong with the Tardis?" Rory asked.

"It's dead." The Doctor muttered, flipping switches. "We're in a dead time machine!"

"Is the Tardis what caused us to dream about the future?"

"The future?" The Doctor shook his head. "Can't be. Rixel was there."

"Maybe she jumped forward." Amy suggested. "She was only nine. Maybe it's when you abandoned her on Earth for all those years."

"That was for her own protection!" The Doctor snapped back. He sighed and put his hands down on the control panel. His eyes looked up.

Rixel stared at him. He was looking at her. He was looking right at her! She jumped up and down, screaming his name. Her hands pounded on the glass. But then he looked away. Just like he never saw her at all.

"Yeah, fat lot of good that did her." Amy rolled her eyes. "Abandoning a ten year old after everything she'd seen?"

"She wasn't ten." Rory spoke up.

"You're right." The Doctor paused. "In there, she was only nine."

"So, we were dreaming of the future where she jumped to before you abandoned her. It doesn't matter." Amy said, shrugging.

"We could still be in that stone hallway, dreaming of this. Don't you get it?" The Doctor turned.

"No, this is real. I'm definitely awake now." Amy replied.

"And you thoughts you were awake when you were all carrying guns."

Rixel looked up the glass tube. Above her was dark. She couldn't see anything. She spun around. The tube was narrow enough she might be able to crawl up. Maybe if she got out of there she could find a way out of this. She leaned back against the glass and pushed her legs up against the other side, supporting her weight. She managed to shimmy her way up the pipe just a bit when she heard birds singing again.

"Remember! This is real!" The Doctor shouted. "But when we wake up in the other place, remember how real this feels!"

"It is real!" Amy snapped back as she slumped over the control panel. "I know it's real."

* * *

"Okay, this is real." Amy groaned as she sat up. "It's all solid."

The Doctor waived his hand in the air in front of him. "It felt real in the Tardis, too. You can't spot a dream while you're having it."

"What are you doing?" Rixel asked. She rubbed her eyes.

"Looking for a motion blur. Pixelation. It could be a computer simulation. I don't think so though." He stopped and looked over at Rixel. "What do you dream of when we all fall asleep?"

Amy blinked. "Yeah. You're not there. It's like your gone, somewhere. Somewhere bad."

Rixel shook her head. "I'm there, you just can see me for some reason. I have the same dreams as you."

"Invisible?" Rory asked.

Rixel shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

There was a loud crash from above them. Rixel looked over at Amy.

"We need to go." Amy spoke quietly. "Now!"

Rixel nodded. Her, Amy and Rory pushed passed the Doctor and headed around the Tardis. They'd have to move fast, but they should be alright. She had the maps. And when they reached the point that was blank on the maps, well, she'd figure that out then.

"Where are we going?" The Doctor asked.

Amy whipped around and shushed him.

"Amy already told you." Rory whispered. "The lab."

"What lab?"

"My parents old lab." Rixel said. She stopped just long enough to open an old wooden door. A new hallway stretched on before them.

"How do you know your parents are dead?" The Doctor asked.

Rixel stopped. Amy and Rory paused for a second, but Amy quickly pushed Rory along. He tried to argue and hang back, but she practically dragged up down the hall.

The Doctor stopped, looking down at Rixel.

"I know they died back at the lab in France." Rixel swallowed. There was a large lump in her throat that she hadn't felt in ages.

"You do."

"And I know you rescued me. I also know you lied to me, but I understand. I was little."

"You still are little." He said quietly.

"It's been three years since I last saw you."

"Unless this is a dream." He replied.

"If this is a dream, then I don't really exist, do I?" Rixel finally forced herself to look up at him. She knew this was real. The pain of her parents death. The threat of the Requiem. Even the longing she had for the Doctor. It was all very real.

"Of course you exist." His brow furrowed. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"You can't see me in that dream. You keep looking right at me, but you never see me."

"Odd, yes." He muttered.

"Rixel!" Amy's voice came from down the dark hallway. She was too far to see.

"Coming!" Rixel turned and headed off down the hallway.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said.

"Be sorry later." Rixel replied. "Right now we need to get to that lab and-"

She stopped mid-sentence as she heard a bird chirping. Her legs grew weary and she dropped to the ground.

* * *

"Okay, I hate this, Doctor." Amy grumbled, getting up to her feet. "Stop it. Just stop it. Because this is real. It's definitely this one. I keep saying that, don't I?"

Rixel watched as the Doctor ran around. It was still dark and Rixel was starting to feel cold. She shuttered. Cold like the Titanic. That was where she was last, wasn't it? She had just been on the Titanic with the Doctor and now for some reason she was stuck in the Tardis where no one could hear her.

"It's bloody cold!" Rory shivered.

"The heating's off." The Doctor mumbled. He paced back and forth around the console. "Everything's off. Sensors, core power. We're drifting. The scanner's down so we can't even see out. We could be anywhere." He growled. "Someone, something, is overriding my controls!"

There was a flicker of light, then Rixel noticed a man standing at the top of the steps. He was wearing clothes similar to the Doctor, but he most certainly did not look like the Doctor.

"Well, that took a while." The man chuckled. "Honestly, I'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords. The Oncoming Storm."

The Doctor spun around. "How did you get into my Tardis? What are you?"

Rixel gasped as the man looked up at the tube, directly at her. For a second there, she almost thought she saw him wink. "His Tardis? Do you hear this? So possessive." He looked back down at the Doctor. "What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord."

The Doctor reached into his pocket, then flung a small rubber ball towards the man. It passed right through him, bouncing on the floor behind him. "Interesting."

"So, you're a Dream Lord." Amy asked. "You create dreams?"

"Dreams, delusions. Cheap tricks." The Doctor muttered.

"Right. Creepy. Can't we just chuck him out of the Tardis?"

The man laughed. "Nice try, but you can't touch me. Even if you could, it wouldn't matter. I know everything about you, Ameila Pond. I've seen your dreams. I know what you're going to do before you even do it." The man flickered, reappearing up above the stairs again. "So! Here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here in the Tardis and there in the world of war. One is real, the other is fake. Just to make things interesting, you're going to face a deadly challenge in both worlds. Only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep."

The familiar bird chirping sound echoed in the glass tube around Rixel. She fell down, drifting off to sleep.

"Or are you just waking up?"


	20. Lost in a dream

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas, 2049**

Rixel staggered back up to her feet next to the Doctor. "Oh, that's not healthy."

The creepy looking man from the Tardis (dream?) walked up in between them. "Oh, this is bad. Just look at this place. Bit musty if you ask me."

"What are you doing?" Rixel growled. She flinched forward, but the Doctor grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Oh, she's a feisty one!" The man laughed. "No wonder you like her so much. Have you figured it out yet, Doctor? Who she really is? Because I think you have, but you're not willing to accept it yet."

"Leave her alone!" Amy came marched up towards them. Rory held a gun up in his arms, aimed at the Dream Lord.

"No guns, Rory!" The Doctor snapped.

The Dream Lord laughed. "Well, now that's you're all together, let's figure out the answer, eh? If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. And if you're stupid enough to die in reality, well, then you die. That's why it's called reality."

"Why are you doing this?" Amy asked.

"Never mind that." The Dream Lord chuckled. "You've got a world to choose. One reality was always too much for you, Doctor. Try two."

With that, he flicked out, disappearing.

"Who is he?" Rory asked, lowering the gun.

A loud pop came from far behind them. Followed by shouting. Rixel grabbed Amy's arm. "There's no time. We have to hurry!"

The group of them raced down the hall, running from the gun fire. They found another stairwell and raced down. Rixel pulled one of the maps out of her bag. She struggled to read it as they ran, praying she was right. "Turn here!" They continued running down the hall. The shouting and noises from behind them slowly started to taper off. The group ran until they came to another junction. They stopped and all looked towards Rixel.

"Which way?" Rory asked.

Rixel glared down at the map with a frown. This was the gap. She had no idea where to go now. She looked up and glanced down each hallway. It was too dark to see where either lead. "I...I don't know."

"Let me see that." Amy grabbed the map away from her.

"If this is reality, how could you know your parents are dead?" The Doctor asked Rixel.

She blinked. "I don't know. I just do."

"Isn't that a bit...odd?" He asked.

"Well, you left me here. In the middle of the end of the world. I figured it out eventually." Rixel snapped back.

"Is it really the end of the world?" The Doctor questioned her.

"Sunstar epidemic." Rixel said. "Yes. It's the end of the world."

"Would you rather live in this world? A world that is dieing?"

Rixel stared back at him. Her face grew dark. "Verses a world where I don't exist?"

Amy interrupted them. "Ok. I'm lost. I don't know which was to go."

"We should split up." Rory suggested.

"No, bad idea, that." The Doctor said, still looking at Rixel. "We need to stick together."

"No, we need to get to the lab." Amy said.

"Left." The Doctor said, finally shifting his eyes up and down the hall. "Always go left."

"Doctor, this is no time for guessing!" Amy said.

The bird sound echoed down the hall.

"You're right." He replied, slipping down the wall to the floor.

* * *

Rixel shivered. Her teeth were chattering again. It was a feeling she wasn't too happy to experience again so soon. She was done with the cold.

"It's really cold." Amy shuddered.

"What does it matter if we're cold? We have to know what's going on!" The Doctor paused, rubbing his face. "Sorry. Sorry. There should be some blankets down there." He gestured under the console.

Rixel sat down inside the glass tube. She was too cold to try and get out. Plus, she was worried she be up really high when the birds started again. What then? She could fall to her death. Not worth the risk, even if she wasn't really alive here.

"Where are you?" The Doctor said quietly.

Rixel sat up. Amy and Rory had wondered off to get the blankets. Was he talking to her?

"Why can't I see you? Are you real?"

"I'm here!" Rixel pounded on the glass. "Right here, Doctor! Right above you!"

His head dropped down. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to..." He trailed off. He pushed himself away from the controls and started rummaging through a box. A moment later he pulled out a bunch of materials and started to put them together.

"Ah, Rory. Wind." The Doctor threw the newly made contraption into Rory's hands as he came back. He handed a wire off to Amy. "Amy, attach this to the monitor, please."

"Weird, kitchen wind-up device." Rory muttered.

"It's a generator." The Doctor said, focusing back on the controls. "Get winding."

Rory started turning the contraption. "Why is the Dram Lord after us?"

The monitor beeped, then slowly turned on. It showed stars all around them, burning brightly. Except for one. One was burning in a different way. It was blue.

"We're in trouble." The Doctor said.

"What is that?" Rory asked.

"A star. A cold star." The Doctor stepped towards the monitor. "That's why we're freezing. It's not a malfunction. We're drifting towards a cold star."

"This must be a dream." Amy said. Her teeth were chattering. "There's no such thing as a cold star. Stars burn."

"We're drifting towards it. Got about 14 minutes until we crash into it."

"Doctor, there's no such thing as a cold star." Amy repeated.

"There's also no such thing as an invisible person, but where is Rixel?"

Rory sighed. "You told us before she died."

The Doctor took in a deep breath.

"Yeah." Amy said. "You said she was blown up in the-"

"Stop!" The Doctor held up a hand. He sighed. "If, by some chance she's here you don't need to go any further."

Rixel's nose was pressed up against the glass. She died? When did this happen! Blown up? Blown up how? How did she supposedly die!

The Dream Lord flickered to life at the top of the stars. "Careful now. You might reveal too much."

"Where is she?" The Doctor yelled.

"Now, now." The Dream Lord chucked. "She's here. Watching over you, just as she always does. Your brain turning this over yet, Time Lord? It's really quiet simple, you know."

"Doctor?" Amy grabbed his arm as the birds started chirping again.

"Ah!" The Dream Lord grinned. "We've run out of time. Don't spend too long there or you'll freeze to death here!"

* * *

The four of them ran down the hall. Rixel kept trying to figure out the map. The missing section was small enough that they should be getting close soon. If they were going the right way, that is. Behind them, they could hear shouting. It was still far away, but enough to cause panic.

"This is the real one." Rory said as they ran. "I just feel it. Don't you feel it?"

"Are you really there when we are?" Amy asked Rixel.

She nodded. "I keep shouting, but you never see me."

"Where are you?" Amy asked.

Rixel's eyes widened at the path veered off to the right in front of them. "This is it! We're going the right way!"

"Oh, that's a relief." Rory sighed. The group rounded the corner and kept going. They started to pass doors.

"Third one on the left. Then the second on the right. Up the stairs, then 4th door on the left." Rixel said, reading off the map. "We're almost there!"

They ran, putting more distance between themselves and the shouting from behind them.

"How'd you know?" Rixel asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Know?"

"Which way to go. You said left. You were right."

He frowned. "The Phoenix. It was graffitied on the wall."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Tell you when you're older."

She looked over him carefully. Well, as best she could while they ran. Something wasn't right. He seemed... reserved. "Did I upset you?"

The Doctor looked over at her and forced a smile. It wasn't very convincing. "No. You never upset me. Never ever."

"This is it." Amy skidded to a halt first, and everyone followed behind. She placed her hand on the door knob and turned. It didn't budge. "It's locked!"

"I got it." Rixel ducked down to eye level with the lock. It was a strangely shaped lock, but Rixel recognized it. She smiled as she pulled the locket out from under her shirt and inserted it into the lock. Just as she'd hoped, she heard the lock click, and the door swung open.

Inside was dark, but there was a soft glow coming from over in the corner. She could make out several long tables, chairs, test tubes, microscopes...everything she needed. Her heart jumped. This was her parents lab. The place they worked and studied in before they were shipped off to France. It was their special, hidden place.

The Doctor hurried everyone in and shut the door behind them. He took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the door. Amy pulled out a couple of flashlights and positioned them throughout the room so they could see better. Rory started to unload his bag onto one of the tables. Rixel just stood there and stared.

"Come on then!" Amy shouted. "You need to hurry!"

Rixel blinked, then rushed over towards the table. She swung her back up onto the table.

"Ah, look at that! Rushing in to save the day, are we?" The Dream Lord flickered to life, sitting on the table next to Rixel. "A nine year old attempting to save the world? Oh, please."

"Leave her alone." The Doctor stepped forward.

"Oh, do that again. I love it when he does that. Tall, dark hero, 'leave her alone'." The Dream Lord chucked.

"Shut up." Rixel growled. She pulled out a mirror from her back and checked her face. All clear. She tossed the mirror onto the counter and Amy picked it up.

"Stop it." The Doctor said, staring at the Dream Lord. "Stop all of it. I know who you are."

"Course you don't." The Dream Lord said.

"Course I do. No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do."

The Dream Lord grinned. "Never mind me! Maybe you should worry about him." He motioned over towards Rory.

Rixel dropped the papers in her hands. Her eyes shifted up towards Rory.

He was standing a few tables over, Amy next to him. In his hand, he held the mirror. It was trembling.

"Rory?" The Doctor asked. "What's wrong?"

The mirror fell from his hands, shattering on the floor.

"No, no." Amy shook her head. "No, it's not possible."

"Rory?" Rixel stepped back from the table.

"What's going on?"The Doctor asked again.

No one had a chance to reply. The birds started to chirp again.


	21. Attack of the Requiem

**Tardis**

"Oh, it's colder!" Amy shuddered. 

The Doctor placed a hand on each of Amy and Rory's shoulders. "The three of us have to agree now. Which is the dream?" 

"It's this one, here." Rory said. 

Amy stared at him, mouth open. "Reality in a world where you have the virus?" 

"The virus?" The Doctor said, looking between them. "What do you mean?" 

"The red spots." Rory touched his cheek. It was free from freckles. "The science is wrong here. Burning ice? It's not real." He pointed to the monitor. 

"No, no, no. Ice can burn. Sofas can read. It's a big universe!" The Doctor said. "We have to agree which battle to lose. All of us. Now." 

"Rixel doesn't even exist here!" Rory said. "This is the dream." 

"And you're going to die in the other world!" Amy snapped back. 

Rory stopped and looked at her. His shoulder slouched down. "Not if she finishes it in time." 

"You don't know if she can." Amy grumbled. 

"I'm sorry. Finishes what? Who?" The Doctor interrupted. "You all keep talking about things I don't know." 

"The Sunstar Virus." Amy said, not taking her eyes off Rory. "Rixel thinks she can cure it." 

"Of course she can. Clever girl, her." The Doctor replied. 

"But you said she was dead." Rory answered. 

"Yes, well. I say a lot of things." 

"I have an idea!" The Dream Lord popped up on top of the stairs. "Let's split you up, shall we? I'll keep the ladies while you two scurry off." 

"Amy? Can you hear that?" Rory asked. He slowly started to fall to the ground. 

Rixel watched as the Doctor and the Rory fell asleep. But she didn't. Neither did Amy. She pounded on the glass. To her surprise, the Dream Lord looked up at her. 

"Ah! Rixel! You getting enough entertainment from up there?" 

"Where is she?" Amy asked. Her eyes scanned around the Tardis, looking right through Rixel. 

"Amy!" Rixel pounded on the glass. 

"Can't you see her? Right up there, where she's always been." The Dream Lord pointed directly at her. 

"That's just the Tardis." Amy said. "Where's Rixel?" 

"Oh Amy. I forgot. You're human mind can't really think that well. How about a little...illumination." As he said the last word, a bright yellow light filled the tube all around Rixel. 

Amy's eyes grew wide. "Rixel!" 

"Amy!" Rixel pounded on the glass. She was looking at her. She could see her! She existed! 

"Now that you both know you're here, how about it, girls? Have you made your choice yet?" The Dream Lord sauntered over towards the seat, sitting down. 

"What choice?" Amy asked. 

"Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy. The choice! You know what I mean! This reality, with the Tardis and adventure and traveling through all of time and space. Or the other reality, with Rory and guns and war." 

She froze. 

"Let me out!" Rixel yelled. 

"And what about you, little Rixel?" The Dream Lord chuckled. "Which do you choose? A life where you're the hero, only to save a world that's already dead? Or to be the silent companion who forever stays with the Doctor, unseen?" 

"What are you talking about!" Amy snapped. 

"Better make your choice soon, girls. You know they'll be waiting for you." The Dream Lord smiled as the bird started to chirp. "Night, night, dears." 

* * *

"You have to hurry!" Amy said quietly from the corner of the room. She was curled up with Rory, who wasn't looking so well. The red freckles had spread fast, and now he looked like he might be sick any moment. 

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Rixel pulled the slide off the scope and rushed over to the boiling tubes. It wasn't bad enough that she had no real technology to work with, but she had no idea what she was doing, either. She'd been messing around with the C-14 stored inside her locket for three years now, but she still didn't know enough about it. Just that, for some reason, it was able to stop the Sunstar virus. And she had no idea how. 

"Amy, what did he say to you?" The Doctor asked. 

"What? Who?" 

"The Dream Lord." The Doctor said his name with distaste. "He held you back. Why?" 

"He held back Rixel, too. She was there. I saw her." 

"You did?" The Doctor looked over his shoulder at Rixel. 

"Yes." Amy hugged Rory. "He said we had to chose. Pick the real reality." 

Shots echoed from out in the hall. All four of them stopped and stared at the door, waiting. They kept hearing noises, but they had no idea how close they really were. 

"We need to protect ourselves." Rory coughed. "Amy, get the guns." 

"No, no. No guns." The Doctor said. 

"We need more time." Rory laid his head down on Amy's shoulder. "Rixel needs more time." 

"I'm hurrying." Rixel mumbled. She didn't know what she was doing, but she was trying to do it fast. Anything to help Rory. 

"Rory, tell me about Amy. Tell me about how much you love her." The Doctor said. 

Rixel focused on her work. She was close, she knew that. Everything rested on her. Outside the room, the Requiem were running around, killing those that had managed to stay alive. But their main goal was her. If they stopped her, they stopped the virus. She knew that. She never told the others, of course, but she knew it was her that was spreading the virus. The C-14 in her mother's locket had been it all along. That's why the people on the Titanic got sick. Why Martha's sister had red freckles. Why Jamie had them, too. All people she'd been in contact with. It was her fault. She was the one spreading the disease and now she had to cure it once and for all, before the Requiem came and killed her. 

She took the slide and scraped it's contents into the boiling test tube in front of her. The liquid inside seemed to burn a bright red, then fade into orange. Like fire. 

"Like a phoenix." 

Rixel turned to see the Doctor standing behind her. She didn't know how long he'd been there. "Sorry, what?" 

"It burned, like a phoenix." The Doctor replied, pointing to the test tube. 

"Yeah, so?" She shrugged. "I don't think it's right." 

"Maybe it is." 

Before Rixel could answer, there came a loud pounding on the door. She froze. The pounding grew louder and louder. She heard shouts coming from the hall. She wasn't sure how, but the Requiem had found them. They found her. 

"Rory!" Amy cried. 

The Doctor rushed over to her. 

"Rory! Wake up!" Amy slapped Rory across the face. "Wake up! Rory! Rory!" 

"I'm sorry, Amy." The Doctor said softly. "I'm so sorry, but he's..." 

Rixel stopped, staring at the door. It was too late. Rory was dead. The Requiem was here. She couldn't do anything. She'd failed. 

Amy got her feet. "No. No. Come back." She looked over at the Doctor. "Save him. You save everyone. You always do." 

"Not always." The Doctor said softly. "I'm sorry." 

"Then what is the point of you." Amy marched over towards Rixel. "Or you. What have you got? Was it worth his life?" 

Rixel was still staring at the door. It shuttered every time it was pounded on. That lock wouldn't hold forever. Soon, they'd all be dead. 

"This is the dream." Amy said quickly. "Definitely this one. If we die here, we wake up, yeah?" 

"Unless we die." The Doctor said. 

"Either way, it's my only chance of seeing him again. This is the dream." 

"I won't exist." Rixel said. 

"How do you know?" The Doctor asked Amy. 

"If this is real life, I don't want it." Amy said. She glared at Rixel. "And neither do you." 

Rixel looked down at the test tube in her hand. The orange liquid swished around. Amy was right. She was useless in this reality. She couldn't even cure Rory, let alone the world. She was no hero. The little red-headed girl looked up at Amy and nodded. 

Amy took in a deep breath and headed towards the door. 

"Be very sure." The Doctor said. "This could be the real world." 

"It can't be." Amy said. "Rory isn't here. I didn't know. I didn't, honestly. I didn't, till right now. I just want him." 

The Doctor looked over at Rixel. "What about you? What if you never come back?" 

Rixel shook her head. "I don't want to be here. It's wrong." 

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Ok." He squeezed it. "Ok." 

Amy opened the door, and the gunfire commenced. 


	22. Exposed

**Tardis**

"Amy? Rory?" The Doctor rolled onto his side. His face was covered in ice crystals.

"Here." Amy groaned. She pulled herself over towards Rory, hugging him tightly. A moment later, he opened his eyes as well.

"So, you chose this world." The Dream Lord sighed. "Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left. Fair's fair. You beat me. You won. Let's warm you up."

The lights inside the Tardis came back on. Rixel could feel a blast of warm air coming down the tube.

"I hope you enjoyed your little fictions. I've been defeated. Farewell." The Dream Lord said before vanishing.

The Doctor slowly got up to his feet. He glanced over at Amy and Rory, who were starting to get up as well. Then he looked down at the controls and started to push buttons.

"Oh, something happened." Rory said, grabbing his head. "What happened? I was sick, wasn't I?"

Amy traced her finger along his chin. "You're fine now."

"What are we doing?" Rory looked over her and asked the Doctor.

"Me?" The Doctor asked. "I'm going to blow up the Tardis."

Rixel jumped up to her feet. "What! No, you can't! I'm still here! Doctor!" She pounded on the glass. Meaningless, she knew, but she couldn't stop herself.

"But this is the reality!" Amy said, her mouth hanging open.

"Then where's Rixel?" The Doctor said, slamming a lever down.

Amy looked up at the center of the Tardis. Rixel could feel she was looking for her, but her eyes never seemed to catch on. The little red-head pounded on the glass some more, but Amy didn't see.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was? Ran away and fixed everything. A bit of a jerk, he was, but he was always very keen to make us choose between the realities." The Doctor laughed, a hint of crazy in that laugh. "The Dream Lord has no power over the real world. He was offering us a choose between two dreams."

"Doctor!" Amy's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

The Doctor looked over at her and smiled. "Because I know who he is." With that, he pulled the level, and the Tardis exploded.

* * *

Rixel leaned her head forward. It felt so heavy, and her chin dropped down to her chest. Oh, how groggy she felt. She forced herself to wiggle her toes, but even that took effort. She continued to force herself to move, rolling her shoulders and lifting her head. She could feel the nerves in her body start to wake up, sending shivers down her spine. She opened her eyes.

She was in the Tardis. Not in the central tube, but on the ground, leaning up against the wall. The Doctor was standing at the console in front of her.

"Doctor?" Rixel mumbled and she pushed herself up to her feet. She stumbled slightly, grabbing onto the wall to keep from falling over.

He turned around to look at her. She expected him to be smiling, but he wasn't. He looked almost frightened. He held out his hand, revealing a few diamond looking sparkles in his palm.

Amy and Rory appeared at the top of the steps.

"You blew up the ship." Amy grumbled.

The Doctor turned, holding out his hand towards Amy. "Specks of psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karas don Slava. Must have been hanging around for ages. Fell into the time rotor, heated up and induced a dream state for all of us." He walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the vastness of space. Stars, all burning with fire, beamed in through the door. He blew on his hand, sending the pollen out into space.

"So that was the Dream Lord, then?" Rory asked. "Those specs?"

"No, sorry. I thought it was obvious." The Doctor looked over at Rixel. "The Dream Lord was me. Psychic pollen, it's a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you. Gives it a voice and turns it against you."

"How do you know it was you it was feeding on?" Amy asked.

The Doctor looked away from Rixel and turned to Amy. "Amy, dear. I'm a Time Lord. I know everything."

Rory came over to Rixel. "I'm sorry. I know you, I just...I don't think we've actually met, have we?"

Rixel shook her head. "No. Sorry. But I know what you mean. Deja vu."

He laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

She sighed. "Sorry I couldn't. You know. Save you."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You tried you best. It was a trap, anyway. You were doomed to fail."

Rixel frowned. That didn't sound right.

"Besides, you're only nine." Rory shrugged. "The world can't ask a nine year old to save everyone, now can it?"

Rixel's head snapped up. "What? No. I'm six."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "N..no. You're nine. You said so before."

"That was the dream." Rixel said. She looked over at the Doctor who suddenly became interested in her conversation. "I only aged in the dream. It wasn't real. I'm only six. I was six a few moments ago, and I'm still six."

"You're nine." The Doctor said, quietly.

Rixel looked down at her hands. They weren't the hands of a six year old; he was right. But, how was that possible? She remembered the three years away from the Doctor perfectly, but that had been a dream. This was reality. How could she be nine?

"No, that's not possible." Rixel said, staring at her hands.

Amy shrugged. "Last time I saw you, you were fourteen. Time flies."

Fourteen! Rixel stared up at Amy. "H-how?"

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Rory! Amy! You two should go see about finding some food. I'm sure you two are starved."

"But-" Rory started.

Amy hushed him. She looked over at Rixel with a strange sadness, then pulled Rory off up the stairs and away.

When they were gone, the Doctor sat down on the seat. He patted the space next to him, inviting her over. Rixel sighed, then joined him. She jumped up to get herself on the seat, but found she didn't have to jump as high. Had she really grown that quickly?

"What happened?" The Doctor asked.

"You tell me." Rixel slid back in the seat and looked up at the ceiling.

His hand went up to his face and rubbed his forehead. "I meant in the three years. You said you were six yesterday, but you're nine now. What happened?"

Rixel shrugged. "I don't know. One minute we just got off the Titanic, the next I was here. But somehow, in between everything, you dropped me off back home so I could save the world."

"The Titanic?" He asked.

"Yeah. Don't you remember?"

He shook his head.

"Oh." She sighed. "Must not have happened for you yet."

"You said I dropped you off home."

"Yeah." Rixel shuddered. "Turned out my parents were dead. That some Sunstar virus had taken them out, along with most of the world. Killed almost everyone, really. You told me that the key to saving everyone's life was in my mother's locket." She picked up the locket, turning it over in her hand.

"Who told you about the Sunstar virus?"

She looked over at the Doctor. His eyes were narrow and dark. She flinched. "Wha...it was a dream. A fake reality. It doesn't matter."

"But it does matter." He said. "Parts of that dream were real, and you know things that you shouldn't know. How?"

"What do I know?" Rixel replied.

He stared at her.

"Doctor." Rixel frowned. "What do I know?"

"Psychic pollen." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course! It must have reacted with the C-14 in the locket and-"

"Doctor!" Rixel placed a hand on his leg. "What. Do. I. Know?"

The Doctor looked over at her. His face fell. "I...I can't say."

Rixel pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth. He was really trying her patience here. "Where are my parents?"

The Doctor didn't reply. He just looked down at his hands folded in his lap.

"Doctor!" Rixel reached up and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. Her nine year old hands were just that little bit stronger that she needed to force him to turn to her. "I want to go home. Right now. No funny business or 'one more adventure'. You take me home right this instance or so help me!"

His eyes stared back into hers. His body softened, and he slowly relaxed. After a minute, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

Rixel pulled her hand back and blinked. She...she was right. Her heart started to crumble in her chest. She was right. Those three years of a dream were right. Her parents were dead. Killed by the very compound they created. Really dead. But...how? She'd seen them, hadn't she? She'd gone to their house and visited them just after he rescued her. Of course...he rescued her in a time machine. Rixel's hand dropped down to the seat and she stared out at nothing. He'd lied to her. She was nothing special. She wasn't anything, really. Her parents were dead. The world was dead. The Sunstar virus she'd been carrying around and killing people with was real. No one knew she existed, yet she was the reason for the downfall of humans.

"Rixel." The Doctor breathed quietly. "I'm so very sorry. I-"

"Shut up." Rixel growled. She jumped off the seat, staring at the center of the Tardis. "Don't you ever talk to me again. You understand? Never again."

He didn't reply. She didn't want him to. She took a deep breath and headed up the stairs. The last place she wanted to be was in the Tardis with the Doctor, but that wasn't really a choice. It was either that or walk out into space. She wasn't willing to risk that.

She wondered along the halls until she came upon her bedroom. Rixel sobbed in anger as she flopped down on the bed. He'd lied to her. To a little girl! He lied and told her her parents were alive! He dared to trick her into coming with him and nearly getting her killed how many times now? She hated him.

Rixel began to cry. She didn't care. She was no longer a six year old child, but she felt so lost and helpless. There was nowhere else she could go. No one who could help her. She might as well not exist at all.

When she finally fell asleep, Rixel dreamed of a fire burning in her chest. A phoenix rising out of the ashes.


	23. The Golden Ship

**Tardis**

Rixel groaned and rolled over in her covers. No, she wasn't ready to face the day yet.

The golden glow warmth came over her, making her too hot to stay under the covers. She kicked them off, but didn't get up yet. She was still so tired. And so angry.

Eventually, that strange golden feeling took over and she sat up. Fine. She'd get up. But she wouldn't talk to the Doctor. She'd spend the day with Amy. At least Amy didn't lie to her.

Rixel got herself ready for the day, putting on the freshly laid out clothes at the foot of her bed. She really wished she knew who was doing that. She wanted to thank them.

Groggy, she made her way out of her room. She was still mad at the Doctor, of course, and had no plans whatsoever to talk to him, but she wouldn't mind seeing Amy. Amy was nice. She would help Rixel feel better. She stumbled along in the hall until she finally reached the control room. Only, it didn't look the same. No. It was completely wrong. This wasn't the same Tardis at all! This was the other one!

How'd she get here? When did she get here? She didn't remember the weird locket burning. Had it happened while she was asleep?

The control room was empty. Rixel made her way over to the controls and started to walk around them, looking at every part. Nothing was labeled, and most of the switches and buttons looked like they hadn't been touched in ages, but she had a strange feeling like she knew what was going on. She couldn't fly it, no, but there was a vague understand of how to. Like, if the Doctor was here, she could start maneuvering it around with his guidance.

She shook her head. She didn't want to fly it with his guidance. She was still mad at him. He'd lied to her about her parents. He tricked her into coming with him. And for what purpose? So she could be his petty little side-kick randomly throughout time? It was sickening. His companions were girls more his age. Why kidnap a six year old girl? And he pretended to know her! Like she was famous by some stupid chance! Of course she couldn't be. Conqueror of the Requiem be dammed. A lie like that to such a little girl had horrible implications. Especially now that she knew, given the chance, she'd fail at saving the world.

Rixel sighed. She loved the Tardis, she did, but it just wasn't the same without the Doctor. No matter how much she hated him. She drifted down towards the door. Maybe he was out on an adventure. If she was lucky, she'd miss all the horrible monsters and danger and just get to see the Doctor for a while. She doubted it.

She reached out and opened the door. The familiar sensation of the fear of the unknown caused her to shiver. She frowned. She was nine now. Nine year olds couldn't be as scared as silly little six year old girls.

Outside, she found herself in another space ship. This one was far too metallic and gold to be an old boat in the ocean. That was good. She was pretty sure she didn't want to go on any more boats for a while. This place was huge, too. It stretched on above her for ages, showing balcony after balcony. It was all a golden yellow color, but not like the Tardis. No. It didn't have the same warmth or wonderful feeling the Tardis had. If anything, this place felt cold and horrible.

Rixel rubbed her arms. She wasn't cold, but this place gave her the chills. She walked out, hoping to see someone soon, but there was nothing. Well, nothing living. In the corner she could see what looked like a giant golden spider thing, with the legs covered in dots. In the center of it was a tube filled with water. It was too dark to see if there was anything else inside it. Streaming out from the tube were dozens of wires, all running down the legs.

"Doctor?" Rixel called out. She'd hoped it would work. But after a moment of no reply, she figured he wasn't in hearing distance. Figures.

She walked away from the creepy golden spider towards what looked like a hallway. The walls were covered in golden half globes that looked like a bad fashion statement. The hall was wide, though. That was strange. She couldn't hear anything except the soft hum of an engine and her footsteps. Rixel turned around, making sure she really was alone. Nothing. Just that creepy spider thing at the end of the hall.

She kept walking until she found a double door. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to check it out. As she neared the doors, they automatically opened, revealing a dark empty room.

"Hello?" She whispered.

No answer.

Rixel stepped back into the hall and continued walking. She wasn't sure what she expected to find. Maybe the Doctor. Maybe someone, anyone, that could tell her where she was. It felt so strange being alone. She didn't like it.

She passed another door, and as she did, she heard a metallic clank. Rixel paused. She couldn't hear anything else, but she took it as a sign this was the place to start looking. She walked through the automatic doors and headed into the dark room.

After walking for a few steps, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was in another hallway. Oh course. Man, this ship was almost as big as the Tardis! She continued walking, keeping her feet light so her footsteps couldn't be heard. After a while, she began to hear the mumble of voices. She slowed down, but kept moving. Eventually, the voices became clearer and clearer until she realized it was the voice of Rose.

"You can't leave him like that! He'll die!" Rose cried.

In addition to Rose, Rixel could hear a strange metallic voice. It sounded like a bad robot from the 1960's or something.

"That is the point!"

Rixel slid up against the wall and moved towards the voices. She could see alight up ahead and figured that must be where they were.

"Please! You have to let me get to him!"

"The female will remain quiet! Remain quiet!"

"I won't!" Rose cried. She sounded like she was sobbing. "I won't stay quiet and I won't sit still!"

Rixel shifted to just outside the door. She couldn't see in, but she could hear everything going on inside perfectly.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!" The robotic voice said. "And so will the Earth!"

"Just let him go!" Rose begged. "Please, let him go. You can keep me. I promise! I won't say anything more! I swear!"

"The female will be recycled."

"What does that mean!" Rose sniffed. "Just let 'im go!"

Rixel jumped to the side as the door opened. The hallway was dark enough to hide her as the shadow of the robotic voice moved out into the hall.

A strange looking golden robot with dots on it's lower half hoovered over towards her. She looked up at it. There was no face, just what looked like a plunger? Strange. It turned away from her, and started to head down the hall.

"Come back!" Rose yelled. "I ain't done with ya yet!"

Before the door could close, Rixel took in a deep breath and slipped into the room.

She hadn't known what she expected. Part of her thought it would be filled with those strange robots. She was revealed to see Rose was the only was there, but the blond didn't seem too happy to see Rixel.

"What are you doing!" Rose cried. Her eyes widened at the little red-headed girl. "How'd you get here?"

"I don't know." Rixel shook her head, walking over to Rose. Her hands were cuffed on either side of her, being pulled apart by some blue electric current looking thing. "I just wondered here from the Tardis."

"You have to get out!" Rose said, her voice lowered. "You can't let them find you! Get the Doctor!"

Rixel examined the locks on Rose's hand. She had no idea how to get them off. "I don't know where he is. It's a miracle I found you."

"Forget me!" Rose hissed. "Go find him! The Daleks are going to kill him!"

Rixel looked up at her. "Then I'd rather have someone else to help me." She looked over towards the wall. There were several switches. One of them had to break the link to Rose's binds.

"There's no time!" Rose cried.

Rixel ignored her and went over to the switches. The Doctor would live. She knew because she'd seen the Tardis when it was different. This Doctor wasn't her bow-tie Doctor, so he would live. She grabbed two different switches at once and pulled them both down.

The lights went out in the room, but the blue electric beams still tied Rose down, illuminating the room. Rixel grabbed two more switches and pulled them. A loud, piercing alarm went off. Rixel resisted the urge to cover her ears and pulled two more switches. She spun around.

The blue beams were gone. Rose had her hand smashed up against her ears and she was yelling something.

"What?" Rixel yelled back, covering her own ears. She couldn't hear anything. The alarm to too loud.

Rose ran over to her, grabbed the girls arm and pulled her towards the door.

They started to run down the hall, away from where Rixel originally came.

The lights flashed in the hallway around them, but they kept running. Once they reached the end of the hall, Rose paused for only a moment, then chose to go down another path.

"Where are we going?" Rixel asked. She couldn't even hear herself yelling over the alarm.

They turned down another hall, and another, until they ran into one of those strange golden robots with the dots. Rose screamed and turned around. Rixel followed, but wasn't sure what was so terrifying about a plunger.

The girls ran until they came to another door. It opened and they raced inside. They stopped short as the floor rose up to their waists in a railing. Rose leaned over. It was a balcony down into what looked like a weird lab room.

"What the hell?" Rixel's eyes scanned the room. It was huge. Not just a lab room, either. There were test tubes and tables and the stench of blood.

Rose started pointing and yelling something which Rixel couldn't make out. The red-headed girl followed her finger down into the lab until she saw what the girl was pointing at.

There, sitting against a barred cage, was the Doctor. The first Doctor she'd ever seen. The leather Doctor that grinned.

Rose and Rixel turned to go back out and find their way down when they found themselves staring at two of those golden robots. Rose stepped in front of Rixel protectively.

Thankfully, the alarm stopped. Just in time for Rixel to hear a robotic voice shout out "Exterminate!"


	24. Hello Mr. Dalek

**Dalek Emperor Fleet, 200,100**

"Wait!" Rose's hands flew up in the air.

Rixel looked around Rose. The robots didn't look too special. She didn't understand why Rose would be scared of them. What were they going to do, plunger them to death?

"Wait!" Rose said again after a short pause. "You can't kill us. You know that, right? The Doctor will never allow it! If you want him to do what you say, you have to keep up alive!"

Rixel looked up at Rose. What was she doing!

"Very well!" The robot shook as it spoke. "You will come with us!"

"Where?" Rose demanded.

"To the Doctor!"

* * *

Rixel walked side by side with Rose behind the robots. There were three of them escorting them down the now brightly lit hall. The whole thing scared her, but not as bad as it did to Rose.

"What's going on?" Rixel finally asked.

"They're taking us to the Doctor." Rose said quietly.

"I know that." Rixel rolled her eyes. "But why? Who are they? What's going on?"

Rose looked down at her in puzzlement. "You disappeared, you know. We thought you were dead."

"No, I just jumped."

"Jumped?"

Rixel frowned. "You know, teleported or whatever. To later. I thought you understood. Last time I saw you-"

"Last time I saw you," Rose said in hushed voice so the robots wouldn't hear. "You were screaming in pain, then vanished right before my eyes. And you were younger."

Rixel thought for a moment. "This is only your second time ever seeing me."

Rose nodded.

"Oh." She looked down at her feet. Well, that made things weird. "Something keeps happening. It's like, I'm bound to the Doctor. I keep jumping around in his timeline. It all started after you guys saved me back in London. During the Blitz."

"You've been doing that for three years?"

Rixel shook her head. "No, but it's complicated."

Rose sighed. "I'll bet."

"So...what's going on then?"

"Oh!" Rose bent over so she could speak more softly. "It's the Daleks. They were the ones fighting the Time Lords in the time war. They should have all been destroyed, but they weren't. And now we're stuck on the Dalek Emporer's ship. They've taken the Doctor. Said they were going to kill 'im."

"Why don't you just get in the Tardis and fly away?"

Rose blinked. "I was a bit tied up. I can only imagine so's the Doctor."

"Oh. Right." Rixel bit her lip. Dumb question of the day.

The Daleks stopped in front of a large door. The doors slowly slid open, revealing the vastness of the giant lab they'd seen from above. Off to the side, in a small cage, was the Doctor.

"Doctor!" Rose called out.

He stirred, but didn't look over towards them.

"The female will remain silent!" One of the Daleks yelled.

"The hell I will!" Rose snapped back. "Doctor! Are you alright!"

"Stay back!" The Doctor yelled back. He still didn't turn to them. "Rose, I mean it!"

"The female will remain silent!" The Dalek said again.

"Let him go!" Rose yelled. She pointed over at the Doctor.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!" The Dalek replied.

"Just let him go!"

"The Doctor will be exterminated!"

"Shut up!" Rixel yelled as loud as she could. Boy, those Daleks could get so annoying! "Just shut up!"

To her surprise, they did. Everyone stopped and looked at her. Except, the Doctor.

"Now." Rixel said, unsure what to do now that she had their attention. "I understand there's some hostility going on here, but I'm completely lost. Why exactly do you want to kill the Doctor?"

"He is the destroyer of the Daleks! He must be exterminated!"

"Right, ok." Rixel sighed. "Then why haven't you done so?"

"They have." The Doctor spoke up.

The group turned to pay attention to him.

"It's just," He groaned. He turned towards them, grabbing his side. His face looked worn and tired. He wasn't even grinning. "It's taking a bit."

"Doctor!" Rose took a step towards him.

"Stay back!" The Doctor yelled, putting his hand up. "Rose, don't come near me!"

"But, Doctor!" Rose argued, but she didn't move.

"They can't kill you." Rixel shook her head. "You're alive later."

"Time is funny like that." The Doctor chuckled, but he still didn't grin. "It can change."

"What's killing you going to do?" Rixel asked. She was still confused. "Why does that matter? And why make Rose watch? I mean, honestly, why not kill us, either."

"They can't kill you." The Doctor replied. "You're Rixel Kirii. You're a fixed point in time. Killing you would rupture the space-time continuum. Even Daleks can't escape that."

Rixel frowned. Was he really still going to pretend that now? After everything she's done and seen, he's still going to lie to her face, pretending it'll save her life? "No!"

"Rose." The Doctor cringed. "Get her to the Tardis. Both of you, get out now."

"I ain't leavin' you." Rose said.

"I said, No!" Rixel yelled again. Why wasn't anyone paying attention to her? Sure, she was throwing a bit of a temper tantrum, but she deserved to. The Doctor was lying to her again.

"It's not up for discussion!" The Doctor said. "They can't kill you when you're next to her. It's too great a risk!"

Rixel stomped her foot. This was enough. She marched over to the Doctor. Behind her, she could hear the Daleks throwing a fit, but she didn't care. What's the worst they could do, kill her? At least then she wouldn't have to listen to the Doctor tell her lies. Her parents. Her own future. It was too much for her little mind to take.

She put her hands on the bars and glared over at the Doctor. Her voice growled and came across much harsher than she intended. But she didn't care. Right now, she hated the Doctor. "This is ridiculous. We're going to get you out, and you're going to take us back to the Tardis so I can jump to some other place and finally be rid of you."

The Doctor flinched. He lowered his voice. "My sonic screwdriver is in the Tardis. I can't do anything without it."

Rixel sighed. Maybe that's why he was so pushy to get them to go back to the Tardis. She sighed. "Fine."

"Get it, then bring it to me. Can you two do that?"

Rixel rolled her eyes. "Yes." She turned and marched back over to Rose. As she walked, she grabbed the blond's arm and pulled her with her. "Come on, Rose. We have to leave now."

"No!" Rose snapped her arm back. "I ain't leavin' him!"

Rixel shook her head. "If we don't get out of here, the Daleks will just kill us. Besides, the Doctor wants us to finish his cabinets in the Tardis."

"What?" Rose looked at her, dumbfounded.

"You know, the cabinets." Rixel said. "The ones that broke your screwdriver last week?"

Rose's eyes widened. She looked between Rixel and the Doctor. "Oh!"

After that, Rose went willingly. The two girls raced back to the Tardis, getting lost a few times on the way. The Daleks didn't really try to stop them, which Rixel thought strange. One minute they were out to kill them, the next they acted like they didn't even exist. She wasn't sure what that meant.

Once they reached the Tardis, Rixel raced up the ramp to the control panel and searched around. Rose looked over up against the wall in a pile of junk.

"I can't find it!" Rose said.

"Me either." Rixel replied. "Keep looking."

As if on cue, the door to the Tardis slammed shut, and the engine started to move.


	25. Fish and Chips

**Tardis**

"Don't you dare!" Rose ran down to the door and started to pound on it.

Behind her, a holographic projection of the Doctor appeared.

Rixel straightened up. "Rose?"

The blond spun around and gasped at the sight of the Doctor. But it wasn't really the Doctor. He was all shimmery and see-through. A holographic projection.

"This is emergency protocol 1. It means we're in a mortal situation with no way out. I'm either dead, or dieing. Rose, I'm sending you home."

"The hell you are!" Rose yelled back.

"And you're probably complainin' and moanin', which is just so typical of you." The holographic Doctor waived his hands in the air. "But it's the right thing to do. I'm sending you home to have a good life with your mum. There's nothing you can do about it. Just leave the Tardis locked and it'll eventually fade away. I have one favor to ask, just one. See if you can find Rixel. I feel terrible about what happened. Maybe she grew up and you can find her in London. And Rose, thanks."

The holograph flickered and faded off.

"Wait!" Rose ran to where the holograph was. "Come back!"

The engine started to slow down.

Rixel looked down at her hand, which was wrapped around her locket. She'd started off just playing with it as the Doctor spoke, but now it was stuck to her fingers. And it burned.

"Rose!" Rixel bit her lip. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been the first time. Either that, or she was just getting used to it. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

"No, no no no." Rose ran up to the control panel. "I'm getting' us back. He thinks he can just kick us out to the curb like that? No way!"

"Rose." Rixel took in a deep breath. The pain was spreading fast. "I'm jumping again."

"What?" She looked up from the control panel. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry." Rixel said. She blinked, and Rose was gone.

* * *

The Tardis control room was empty. Same room, just, no people.

"Rose?" Rixel whispered. She felt horrible. Rose needed her. The Doctor needed her. She couldn't leave at a time like this!

"Rixel?"

The little red-headed girl looked over towards the hall. Standing in the entrance way in a red leather jacket, was Martha.

"Martha?"

"Oh! Rixel!" Martha laughed. "I though I'd never see you again!"

Rixel gave her a weak smile. She needed to go back.

"Come on!" Martha bounced over and grabbed her arm. "The Doctor's just outside. He'll be happy to see ya!"

Rixel allowed herself to be dragged out the door. She felt almost numb. In the past hour or so she'd gone from hating the Doctor to …what was she now? She was still mad at him, yes. But he saved Rose's life. And he was suppose to die. Yet, here he was. Standing outside, waiting for Martha. The other Doctor. Not the bow-tie one, the huggable one. Always changing he was. She stared up at him with questioning eyes.

He grinned at the sight of them. "Rixel!"

"Just found her standing there in the Tardis!" Martha said

"Yeah, she does that." The Doctor ruffled Rixel's hair.

"I need to go back." Rixel glanced back at the Tardis.

"Why?" Martha asked. "You leave something in there?"

"No." Rixel shook her head. "The Doctor. He needs me. And Rose."

Martha and the Doctor both stiffened at the sound of Rose's name. Rixel raised an eyebrow. Why did people always get so weird when she talked about Rose?

"What happened?" Martha asked.

"There were Daleks and he was dieing and he sent us to the Tardis but then-"

"Ah." The Doctor nodded. "The emperor of the Daleks."

"Yes!" Rixel said.

"Don't worry." He grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll live."

She frowned. "I know, but, you said time can be re-written."

"Bah." The Doctor scoffed. "Ignore me when I say things like that. Fancy some chips?"

"Oh, yes!" Martha replied. She seemed eager for the change in conversation.

Rixel sighed. Life with the Doctor was getting to be too difficult. Well, not much she could do now but go on with it. "Fine."

"Great!" The Doctor took one of each of their hands and started to walk.

* * *

Rixel looked at the city around them. Seemed like a modern day London. She guessed. At least modern by how the movies went. There was a sign for a new Batman movie she'd never heard of, but it was staring the same actor she'd seen in one before, so it had to be the same time frame. Unless they advertised old movies. She had no clue.

They walked into a small fish and chips place. The smell was wonderful. Rixel immediately felt better. The smell rocketed down her throat and into her stomach. When was the last time she'd eaten? She was starving!

The three of them sat down at a table and began to eat. It was kinda nice, actually. No monsters, no life or death situations. Just her, the Doctor and Martha, eating fish and french fries. She actually liked it that they called them chips. It was so cute.

"You're younger than when we last saw you." Martha commented.

Rixel shrugged. "I've heard Amy said she's seen me at 14. Guess I get at least that old."

"Whose Amy?" Martha looked over at the Doctor a little too quickly.

The Doctor shrugged.

"You haven't met her yet." Rixel shook her head. "Sorry."

"You're terrible at keeping secrets." The Doctor replied.

"You're not." Rixel growled. She hadn't meant to get angry at him, it just sort of slipped out.

Martha starred between the two of them. "Right, well, last time I saw you, you were 14 as well. How old are you now? Nine? Ten?"

"Nine." Rixel said. She popped a fry into her mouth. "I think."

"You think?"

"Life with the Doctor." She shrugged.

"I know what you mean." Martha laughed.

"How's your sister?" Rixel asked.

"My sister?"

"Yeah." Rixel thought for a moment. The first time they met was also Marth'a first time. So this had to be past the Lazerus project. "She had freckles on her face before."

"Did she?" Martha shrugged. "Mm, she's fine, I guess. Haven't talked to her in ages. I'm sure I would have heard something. Besides, what are freckles going to be? Chicken pox at the worst, yeah?"

Rixel frowned. "Yeah."

"You're being quiet." Martha glanced over at the Doctor with a grin. "Unlike you."

The Doctor shrugged. "Did you notice anything strange on the way in?"

Rixel sat up. She liked memory games. She thought for a moment. Ok, they were in a big busy town at a fish and chips place. Outside, the building was a navy blue. It had three signs, one white with the name of the place, one black with some sort of hours or something on it and a third Rixel couldn't really remember. There were four windows, two of which had flower pots in them growing some small white flowers. There was a cute little gargoyle statue above the door and round columns that protruded from the entrance area. Next door was a sweets shop and the other side was...she couldn't remember. Out of everything, she didn't know what would be strange. "There were no tables outside?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Nevermind."

"What?" Martha asked.

"Nothing." He grinned and popped a fry in his mouth.

* * *

After the three of them finished eating, they walked outside the restaurant and crossed the street. Martha was hanging onto the Doctor's arm and they were laughing hard about something. Rixel felt the wind pick up, just ever so slightly. For some reason, she wanted to turn around. Like someone was watching her. She paused for a moment, then glanced over her shoulder.

No one was there. Well, no one out of the ordinary. A young couple walked into the fish and chips place. There was a small kid looking into the sweet shop window. The other side of the chips place was a music store. But still, nothing that would prickle the hairs on the back of her neck.

"You see something?" The Doctor asked.

Rixel turned back and smiled. "Nope."

"Me either." Although something in his eyes didn't look right.

"Where to next, Doctor?" Martha bounced.

"I'm not sure." His spoke slowly. After a short pause, he started walking back across the road towards the chips place.

Martha glanced at Rixel questioningly, then followed. "Where we goin'?"

The Doctor didn't answer. When they crossed the road, he lead them down the sidewalk and then turned into a side alley beside the sweet shop. Rixel noticed how wonderful it smelled. Even having just eaten, the sugary sweet smell made her salivate.

The Doctor stopped suddenly, putting his hand out. "You feel that?"

"What, like an earthquake?" Martha asked.

Rixel looked up. The buildings on either side of them seemed to stretch on for ever. There was only a small sliver of blue sky above them. If she hadn't been enclosed in a building her entire life she might have been feeling trapped. But after living in that underground tunnel system for three years... No. Rixel shook her head. That wasn't real. It didn't actually happen. She never really lived there. It was all a dream. But the memory of it seemed so real.

"Rixel?"

She turned and looked at the Doctor.

"What do you remember? Outside the chips place? Anything odd?" He asked.

She shrugged.

"It's just a fish and chips place." Martha said.

Rixel closed her eyes. Her memory flashed to the first time they entered. The three signs. The windows. The gargoyle. The colums. The white flowers. She fast forwarded to when they left and she glanced back from across the street. No, everything was the same. Down to the white flowers and the... no. Wait. Her eyes flew open. "The gargoyle!"

He nodded slowly.

"The what?" Martha asked.

"There was a gargoyle when we went in, but not when we left." The Doctor said.

"So?" Martha scrunched her nose. "Are there alien stone gargoyles that can move unseen around midday London?"

Rixel thought for a moment. Martha had a good point.

The Doctor, however, looked astonished she would ask such a thing. "It's completely possible now, isn't it."

Rixel almost laughed. He had a point, too.

There was a scraping sound from behind them.

"Shh!" The Doctor spun around. His arms reached out pushing the girls back.

"What is it?" Martha whispered.

Rixel looked past the Doctor's arm, but saw nothing. So she turned her head and looked behind them. There, standing in the middle of the alley, was a tall statue of an angel. Rixel jerked back. That hadn't been there a moment ago, she was sure of it. The statue was as tall as the Doctor, if not more. It's hands were covering it's face. She took a step towards the statue. Big feathered wings of stone arched out from it's back. Really, it was quiet pretty.

"Doctor?" Rixel turned her head back to them. "Was this?"

The Doctor and Martha turned to look at her. Both of them gasped. Martha's eyes widened.

"What?" Rixel turned to look back at the statue. She jumped backwards, bumping into the Doctor.

The statue was now closer, although that was an understatement. It was really close. Like, reach your hand out and touch close. And the statue actually looked like that's what it was doing. It's hand one hand extended out, only inches away from where Rixel was. It's other hand still half covered it's face.

"What is it?" Rixel shuddered.

"Dunno." The Doctor frowned. "Must be some sort of quantum-locked being." He reached forward to touch it, but Martha smacked him.

"Don't!" She said. "What if it attacks you?"

He grinned. "It's stone, Martha." With that, he reached out and knocked on it. A dense rock-like sound muffled an echo back. "See?"

"But it wasn't there before." She replied. "It moved."

He nodded and turned away in thought. "Yeah. It did. But when?"

Martha turned after him, leaving Rixel to just stand there staring at the creature. It's outstretched arm scared her. It was trying to grab her. That creepy thing had moved, very very fast, and it tried to grab her. She leaned towards the thing, trying to see if she could spot it move. Maybe it just moved very very slowly then sped up or something. She blinked.

And the angel was gone.

In fact, everything that was there a moment ago was gone. No alleyway. No sugary sweet smell. Just...grass.

Rixel spun around in a circle, gasping. "Doctor!"

But he was nowhere to be seen. No one was. She was alone in an endless grassy field.

"Hello?" She screamed. Her voice came back in an echo.

Oh crap.


	26. Lost

**Oklahoma, 2011**

"Hello!" Rixel screamed once more. She spun around in a circle. Nothing but an endless field. How did she end up here? One moment, she was with the Doctor, and now...

She looked down at her hand. It was empty. The locket was still around her neck. She hadn't felt any pain. Yes, she had been getting used to the pain, but she still felt it. It still hurt. And it always brought her to the Tardis. She wasn't in the Tardis when she jumped and she wasn't now.

Maybe that was a myth? After all, in the handful of times she'd jumped, what did she really know about it? Something to do with Huon energy and C-14. That was it. Maybe she did jump. Maybe the Doctor would show up soon, like he always did.

She put her hands in her pockets and started walking. The grass was a bit tall, just above her ankles. It was wet, too. Though walking in dewy grass was new and exciting, she was glad to have shoes. Wet feet always made her cold. After the Titanic, she didn't like cold anymore.

As she walked, she noticed a small town up ahead. It was really far away, but she could start to make out buildings. With nowhere else to go, she kept heading towards it.

The ground was a bit uneven. She was on a small hill of sorts. It wasn't until she'd been walking for nearly ten minutes that she noticed the wooden fence down below at the base of the hill. After a few more steps, she heard a sound. It almost sounded like a shout, being carried on the wind. Like in the movies. During a dramatic scene or-

"Rixel!"

The red-headed girl jumped and spun around. Behind her a bit, down the hill and on the other side of the fence, stood a woman.

Rixel blinked. She had no idea who the woman was. She watched as the woman waved to her, then hopped over the fence with ease. She had big curly hair and a big grin.

The woman bounced over towards her, practically laughing. When she reached her, she gave Rixel a big hug. "Oh! Just in time, I see! Good. I was worried I'd be late."

"I'm sorry?" Rixel asked, stepping back as the woman finally released her.

She ran a hand through her mess of tight curls. "Look at you! So young! Oh, your hairs shorter, too."

Rixel looked down at her hair. It went past her shoulders. That wasn't short. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

The woman tilted her head to the side. "You don't know who I am?" Her eyes sparkled and her mouth widened into a grin. "You cheeky girl. You didn't tell me this was going to be your first time!"

Rixel just stared at the woman.

"Right, sorry." The woman shook her head. "River Song. Believe it or not, you and I get to be friends."

"I believe it." Rixel shrugged. The woman – River – was much older that she, and she wasn't sure about the friends part. Then again, she was friends with the Doctor right? He was older. And so were the other scientists in the lab. Actually, she'd never had a friend her own age. Strange thing to think of now.

"Right, come on, then." River held out her hand, but Rixel just stared at it.

"Where are we going?"

"The Doctor will be here in about, oh, 3 weeks." River looked up as she thought. "He hates spoilers. Luckily I'd convinced him to tell me about the weeping angels one night and-"

Rixel's eyes lit up. "The weeping angel! That statue! I saw it right before I came here!"

River nodded. "Yes. Terrible creatures. Seen them far too often. Quantum-locked beings. They can't move when you look at them, but when you turn away or blink, that's when they get you."

"Am I dead?"

River laughed. "Oh, good heavens, no child! Why would you think that?"

"You said they get you."

"Yes, they just toss you back in time and feed on the life energy you would have used. Problem is, they don't understand this is how your life goes. Jumping around in time." River paused. "You have been traveling with the Doctor, right?"

Rixel nodded.

"Ok." River said. "Just making sure. I don't exactly know where you are in your timeline."

"Post-weeping angel, before other stuff." Rixel said.

River laughed. "You're clever, even as a kid."

"So I've been told."

"So who have you met? Aside from the Doctor."

Rixel sighed, trying to think. "Rose was there when he rescued me. Then Jack. Um, Martha. Amy and Rory. That's it, I think. Oh, and multiple Doctors."

"Multiple?" River raised an eyebrow. "How many?"

Rixel held up three fingers.

River nodded thoughtfully. "Bow-tie, obviously."

Rixel nodded.

"Messy hair with the big chocholate eyes? Suit, tie and glasses?"

Rixel bit her lip. "Stripped suit? The huggable one?"

"He didn't hug me." River pouted. "But yeah, sounds like him. Which else?"

"The leather one." Rixel said. "The one that rescued me."

"Oh, nine!" River said. "Never seen him, but he showed me the jacket. Had fun with that one night."

"What?"

River chuckled. "Nothing."

Rixel walked along in silence for a moment. She couldn't tell why, but she really liked River. Maybe because the woman talked so much. She was funny. "So, the Doctor won't be here for three weeks?"

River nodded. "Yes, but I promised you I'd come and keep you company."

"I don't remember this promise."

"Well, you were sixteen at the time."

"Sixteen!" Rixel gasped. She'd heard 14 before, but not 16. Did she really travel with the Doctor for at least another 7 years? Wow. She didn't know if she should be excited or scared.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just. Wow. Sixteen."

River leaned slightly over to her. "Your hair is much longer then."

"And I see you a bit then, too?"

"A bit." River grinned. "We never really get to hang out much, but you always talk about these next three weeks fondly. I think this is where you grow to like me."

Rixel smiled to herself. "I told you about a time neither one of us has experienced before."

"Well, you had, when you told me." Rixel nudged her. "It's why we became friends so fast."

Rixel nodded. She took a few steps before speaking again. "How did you get here? If you already know me, then do I go in the past and you just knew to be here?"

River pointed to her wrist, which held a rather large and chunky black bracelet. It didn't look stylish at all. "Vortex manipulator. But don't tell him I have it. He always gets so grumpy when I use it."

"Who?"

"The Doctor." River smiled.

"What's a vortex manipulator?"

River looked at her questioningly. She opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head.

"What?" Rixel asked.

"It's a way to travel through time." River said, a little too quickly.

"Ok." Rixel said, confused by her reaction. "And..."

River looked down at her and grinned. Her grin reminded Rixel of the Doctor. "Spoilers."

* * *

When they finally got to the town, River took Rixel to a small hotel. It wasn't the fancy sort of hotel Rixel had seen in movies, but it had two beds and a bathroom – and a tv.

Rixel spent almost an hour flipping through the gabillion or so channels. Everything on the tv was new. New shows, new movies. Every once in a while she'd flip to a channel and recognize a movie on there. She'd simply say the name of the movie out loud then flip to the next channel. River didn't say anything, she just watched.

When Rixel finally made the loop through all the channels, River stopped her.

"Three weeks is an awefuly long time to go with no new clothes."

Rixel looked down at what she was wearing. Oh yeah. Without the Tardis housekeeper, she didn't have any clothes.

"So, let's go shopping." River grinned.

* * *

The two of them went to several shops. Rixel tried on what seemed like hundreds of outfits. She didn't mind, in fact, she loved it. River kept saying she was like a doll, and just wanted to keep dressing her up. They ended up buying several summer dresses and a few pairs of jeans and shirts. The last thing they bought was a red zip up jacket with white strips on the sleeves. River told her the jacket was special.

After shopping, they went to a small pizza place for dinner. River seemed right at home in this small American town, despite her obvious English accent. Rixel guessed that in the future, accents and where you were from didn't matter as much. After all, the Doctor wasn't from England. Did that mean River...?

"Are you from Gallifrey?" Rixel asked.

River laughed. "Oh, no. Not me. That's just the Doctor."

"Then, where?"

River shrugged. "The Tardis, I suppose. She's the only place that's ever been my home, really. I just travel too much."

"Who?"

"What?"

"You said 'she'." Rixel said. She picked a piece of pepperoini off the slice on her plate. "She who?"

River stared at her blankly. "Why, the Tardis, of course."

"Oh!" Rixel nodded. "Like how in movies guys call their cars girls? Personification?"

River laughed. Her laughter grew louder and louder until people from around the room turned to look at her. River slowly started to slow down, brushing a tear away from her eyes. "Yes. In a way, yes, sort of like that!"

Rixel laughed simply from the infectious nature of River's laughter. "So, the Tardis is his car. Has he named 'her'?"

River took in a deep breath and sighed. "The Tardis is actually alive, you know."

"It's a ship."

"And you're a red-headed girl. So?"

"I'm a girl. I'm alive."

"So's the Tardis."

Rixel sighed. This wasn't going anywhere. "I have a heart. And lungs. I use calcium in my cell physiology that moves ion in and out of my cytoplasm functions, thereby proving the fact that I have cellular processing. I'm alive."

River leaned across the table. "Did he teach you that?"

Rixel rolled her eyes. "I'm a scientist."

"You're a kid."

"You're annoying." Rixel stuck out her tongue.

River laughed. "Come on." She pushed her plate of pizza away. "Lets go back to the hotel and watch some more tv."

Rixel nodded and stood up. She liked River. For the first time since she'd left the lab, she didn't miss the Doctor.

"Oh, hang on." River pulled a small object out of her pocket. "I just need a moment. Be back in a second. Just, sit here, okay?"

Rixel nodded and sat back down as River ran outside. She guessed it was a phone call. Maybe all that timey-whimey stuff and she couldn't risk hearing the conversation or something. She didn't know. Rixel leaned back in her chair and smiled to herself.

"What are you smiling about?"

Rixel turned her head to see a young man with blond hair sitting next to her. He held a slice of pizza in his hand.

"I'm just happy, is all." Rixel said. Even saying it felt great. She was happy. Three weeks with no monsters and just fun with River.

"I can see that." The man gestured towards the door. "She your mum?"

Rixel realized how strange it was that she didn't pick up on the fact that his british accent was out of place. "No, just a friend."

He smiled. "You two seem really close."

Rixel nodded. She didn't want to point out that they'd just met. "You from England?"

"Me?" He shook his head. "No. Just a local. Picked up the accent from my dad. He's from Nottingham."

"Ah." Rixel said.

He leaned forward. "I couldn't help but overhear you mention a doctor. Are you ill?"

Rixel laughed. "No, no. He's just a friend of ours."

"Oh." He said slowly. "I'm a doctor. Well, a scientist, really. I was just wondering if I could offer my services."

"A scientist?" Rixel perked up. "What kind?"

"Oh, nothing too interesting for a young girl like you." He waved his hand in the air. "Just microbiology and chemistry. Mostly the study for curing diseases and such."

Rixel's mouth opened. "Hey! My parents do that, too!" She was too excited to hear about another biochemist she didn't even realize that she should have referred to her parents in the past tense. "I love that stuff. Mostly on a molecular level."

"I just love ripping apart molecules in the morning." He smiled widely.

Rixel bit her lip in a grin. "Do you work here? In town? You have a lab?'

"Why, yes. Actually, I do." He smiled.

"Cool! Can I see it?" Rixel asked.

He chuckled. "I don't see why not. Want to go now?"

Rixel looked out the door at River. She was still not back yet. "I better wait for my friend."

"It's just next door." He said. "We could just sneak away for a moment."

She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "River would get worried."

"Okay." He nodded. He got up to his feet and swung his hard jacket around him. "Feel free to come by later if you want. You can bring your friend if you'd like."

"What was your name?" Rixel asked.

"Dr. Harold." He smiled. "But people around here just call me the Master."

Rixel smiled. "Thanks, Dr. Harold. I'm Rixel by the way."

The blond man shook her hand briefly. "Good day, Rixel."

"Bye, Dr. Harold!" She grinned. "I'll be by later. Promise!"

"I'll plan on it." And with that, he left.


	27. dr. harolds laboratory

**Oklahoma, 2011**

"Did you have fun today?" River asked as she brushed Rixel's red hair.

Rixel looked at River through the mirror in front of her and nodded. "Thank you for the clothes."

River leaned slightly forward and smiled. "Don't mention it."

Rixel grinned back at her. She liked having River with her. The woman didn't treat her like a child. She treated her like an equal. Even the Doctor didn't do that, really. "I met someone today."

"Did you?" River raised an eyebrow.

Rixel nodded again. "A scientist. He's a biochemist, just like my parents."

River paused for a moment, then slowly started to brush her hair again. "And you met this boy...today?"

"Yup." Rixel said. "At the pizza place. When you took that phone call."

"Oh." River shifted uneasily.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." River smiled and Rixel and placed her hands on the red-headed girl's shoulders. They looked at themselves in the mirror. "What was this boys name?"

"Um. Dr. Harold."

"A doctor?" River grinned.

"Not THE Doctor." Rixel rolled her eyes.

"A bit young to be a doctor, isn't he?"

"No." Rixel blinked. "He's older than me."

"Oh. I thought you said you met a boy your age."

Rixel shook her head.

"My mistake." River patted her and walked over towards the bed. She picked up the remote. "What do you say to a bit of telly before bed?"

Rixel turned around in her seat and smiled at River. Yes, she liked River.

* * *

The next morning, River went out to do some food shopping. Rixel said she wanted to stop by Dr. Harold's laboratory, but River didn't seem interested. In fact, if anything, she acted like she wasn't suppose to see Dr. Harold. Part of Rixel wondered if River thought she made up Dr. Harold. She was, after all, only nine. An imaginary friend that was the same profession as her parents in such a small town wasn't unrealistic. Rixel didn't want to ask in case she was wrong. It would be a bit embarrassing if she told River Dr. Harold was real only to find out that River never questioned it. Maybe River would start to think she was crazy. Ug. Now she was just over thinking it. She simply asked if she could go to his lab and River agreed. The woman suggested they meet back at the pizza place for lunch in an hour. Rixel nodded, and ran off.

Th laboratory wasn't very well marked. She never would have noticed it if he hadn't told her it was right next to the pizza place. Even then, she had to look in a few windows before finding the right one. It was labeled an apothecary shop. How odd. She didn't think apothecary was a common thing in this time.

A bell jingled as Rixel opened the door and stepped in. The smell. Oh, that smell! It smelled just like the lab in France! Rixel felt her whole body ache and her knees wobbled. If there was any such thing as home sickness, this was it. Oh, how she missed the lab!

"Ah! Rixel!" The blond man popped up from behind a counter that held a collection of mortar and pestles.

"Hello, Dr. Harold."

"Please, call me Master." He grinned. "Because that's what I am, really. It's a fun little nickname."

She grinned. "Ok."

"You'll need a nickname, too." He tapped the side of his chin for a moment in thought. "What about 'phoenix'?"

"Pheonix?" Rixel blinked. Why did that stupid mythical creature keep popping up?

"You've got red hair." The Master said. "And you're into biochemestry. Healing the sick?"

"Like a doctor?" Rixel couldn't help but say.

The Master frowned. "Not at all. You're so much better than a doctor. What can a doctor do? Administer a shot or two, but he's not the real miracle worker. You are. You're the one that gives him the life curing serum."

Rixel blushed. "Ok."

He clapped his hands. "So! Phoenix, you ready to see the lab?"

She nodded eagerly.

He took her past the counters of apothecary items and through a red velvet curtain. On the other side of the curtain, the room changed drastically. Instead of the dull and dusty apothecary store, it was a clean, advanced technological lab. A real lab. Almost exactly how her parents lab was...erm, had been.

"Wow." Rixel breahted out.

"I know." He chucked to himself. "It's a bit of a hobby, I must say."

"No wonder they call you the Master." She walked along one of the tables. "I bet no one in this tiny town has seen anything like this."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm pretty amazing."

Rixel giggled.

"Come look at this!" He slid over towards a microscope on one of the tables and pulled up a chair. "It's my latest project. I call it the Utopian."

"The Utopian?" Rixel hopped up on the chair and looked into the microscope. What she saw made her gasp. "It's got two nuclei!"

"Yeah." He noddeed behind her. "That's not all. That baby can disintegrate about 4,000 strains of virus'."

"Nu-uh." Rixel glanced over at him. "Nothing can disintegrate a virus."

He leaned forward with a smile. "This can."

"Four thousand, huh?" She looked down the microscope again. If she didn't know any better, it almost looked like...

"Well, give or take. I'm still testing it. Virus' adapt quickly, mind you. So I had to create something that adapted just as quickly. Everytime I test it, it changes, mutates. This is technically a completely different molecular structure that what I had before."

Rixel nodded. That made sence. Actually, it made too much sense. He really was a biochemist. She wished he could meet her parents. They might be able to work together. In fact, just one part of C-14 could-

She stopped herself. Whoa. She'd just met this guy and now she was seriously thinking about telling him her deepest secret? No way. She pushed back from the microscope.

"Are you alright?"

She glanced up at him and forced a smile. "Yes."

He frowned. "Now, Pheonix. No reason to get upset. I promise it's completely safe."

"Oh, I know that!" She nodded. "It's not that. I just, I'm worried about River is all."

"Your friend."

"Yeah." She hated lying, but she wasn't sure what to say. She felt embarrassed for even thinking of C-14.

"You can go anytime." He smiled. "I'll be here always. You can come back and see me."

River hopped of the chair and nodded. "Yeah. I better go find her." Maybe if she just had a bit of time to compose herself, she'd feel better.

He nodded. "But please, come back. There's so much I'd like to show you. No one around her understands my work, Phoenix."

She grinned. The nickname thing was kinda fun. Their little secret. "Ok, Master. I'll be back later today."

He winked, and she left.

* * *

Rixel met River for lunch. They laughed and joked around as they ate. Rixel was happy River didn't pry into her meeting with Dr. Harold. She was still feeling embarassed.

"Want to go to a movie this afternoon?"

Rixel's eyes lit up. "A real movie? In a theater?"

River laughed. "Yes. In a theater."

Rixel was so excited she couldn't even answer at first. She'd seen theaters in movies, obviously, but never a movie in a theater! A huge gigantic screen with sound coming from all directions! It was, quite possibly, the most wonderful thing anyone could do for her. "YES!"

* * *

Though she'd watched it a thousand times on the TV in the lab, Rixel demanded to see Sherlock Holmes in the theater. Harry Potter was a close second, but she loved Sherlock Holmes more. And as she watched the movie, she realized why. Her reminded her of the Doctor.

River had given her the whole experience. She had a tub of popcorn on her lap and a drink off to her side. River even bought a package of twizzlers for them to share. The screen was bigger than she ever imagined and the sound was almost too loud. It was perfect. But...something was missing. Rixel kept looking off to the side. River was there, and she liked River very much, but Rixel wanted the Doctor. She missed him.

After the movie as they were walking out the front door, Rixel asked the question she should have asked when they first met. "How do you know the Doctor?"

River smiled, lost in her own memories. "Oh, him and I go way back."

"How so?" Rixel asked. "You said you aren't from Gallifrey."

"No, I'm not." River said. "We met through my mother. Long story short, we've been together ever since."

"Was your mother from Gallifrey?"

River laughed. Her eyes sparkled as she bent down next to the girl. "No."

"So, did you just run into him one day?"

She shrugged. "You could say that. In a very fast red car."

"You hit him with a car!"

"No." River laughed again. "Oh, but that man."

It suddenly hit Rixel. That look in River's eyes. The way she smiled. "Oh my gosh, you love him!"

River stopped walking and smiled down at Rixel. "Of course I do."

"Your...but..." Now she was confused. Rixel thought Rose was in love with the Doctor. And he seemed to like her very much, too.

"I'd show you the ring, but I'm afraid he's not that traditional."

Rixel stared at the woman in shock. "You're...married?"

Rixer looked off into the darkening sky and shrugged. "You could say that."

"But-" Rixel just stood there staring at River. She'd known the Doctor for a while now. How could she not know he was married? "Oh my gosh!"

"But you can't say anything." River said quickly. "Not to the Doctor or Amy or anything."

"Amy?"

"No one." River said. "Unless I mention something. The Doctor can't know things from his future. You understand?"

Rixel nodded.

River smiled and took the red-headed girl's hand in hers. "Let go get some dinner."

* * *

That night, after they ate the frozen TV dinners River had bought, Rixel announced she wanted to go see Dr. Harold again.

"Didn't you go earlier today?" River asked, tossing her empty dinner tray into the garbage.

"Yes, but." Rixel sighed. "I said something kinda dumb, and I need to go apoligize.

River shrugged. "You want me to come with you?"

Rixel shook her head. She walked over to the table and drew a map of where the lab was. "I just need to apologize. He had a really cool lab with some amazing projects. I want to check them out again. I won't be long."

River looked down at the map Rixel drew and nodded. "Okay. Have fun."

* * *

The sign on the apothocary store said it was closed, but Rixel knocked anyway. A moment later, Dr. Harold came up and opened the door for her. He greeted her with a large smile.

"Phoenix!"

She grinned. "Hi, Master."

"Come in, come in!" He held the door open as she walked inside. "I was just working on the Utopia project. I'd love to hear your input."

She followed him back into the lab. He pulled up an extra chair for her.

"Sorry for leaving so quickly before."

"Oh, not a problem. Not a problem." He waved his hand in the air. "I can understand it might be a little bit weird running off to a strangers place. I don't want you to be frightened."

Rixel thought about that for a moment. He was right. It wasn't a smart thing to do, really. But River knew exactly where she was. And Dr. Harold was a biochemist. There just wasn't anything to be worried about. "Thanks."

He leaned forward over the microscope. "Now, I was trying to introduce it to a small strain of Rubella. At first, Utopia seemed to be working, but now it's acting very strange."

Rixel leaned forward and took a look. As she did, she felt a burp coming up. Ug, that dinner didn't seem to be feeling right. She looked into the microscope. "Hm, where did you get the initial starter sample of cells from?"

"Spinal."

She leaned back and looked over at him. Her chest was starting to burn. Maybe that frozen dinner was a bad idea. "You think maybe it's the p53 reacting?"

"The protein?" He thought for a moment. Then a smile spread across his face. "You are really clever!"

"So I'm told." Rixel rubbed her chest. She felt her locket under her shirt.

"I bet that's what it is!" He looked back through the telescope. "After all, Rubella isn't really that big of a deal."

Rixel paused. She could feelt warmth through her shirt. Maybe it wasn't heartburn after all. She pulled her necklace out and held it in her hand. It burned her. She bit her lip. This wasn't possible. She wasn't in the Tardis. It couldn't be happening now.

"Actually, if we just take the Rubella and add-" The Master leaned back and looked over at her. "Phoenix, you alright?"

She nodded weakly. The locket was glued to her hand. The pain was spreading up her arm. "Please just don't worry. I'll be fine. No matter what."

"Rixel?" He put his hand on her shoulder. "You look really pale. Should I call your friend?"

"I'll be fine." She repeated. "Even if I disappear."

"What do-"

Rixel never heard the rest of his sentence. She blinked, and he was gone. Instead of sitting in a nice lab behind an apothecary shop, she was back on the Tardis. Rixel dropped the necklace and rubbed her eyes. No, she really was back on the Tardis. She jumped up. It was the coral-like Tardis. That meant the leather Doctor! And Rose!

"Rose?" Rixel called out.

There was no reply. She wondered around for a bit, but something seemed off. This was definitely the Tardis, but there wasn't that same golden warmth that there usually was. Well, there was, but it was really, really faint. She had to really focus to feel it.

After a while, she gave up and went outside. The sun was high in the sky, and the road was paved in front of her. Tall apartment buildings were behind her and a construction zone was across the street. Off to the side, she saw a basketball court with a stone fence around it. Sitting on the fence was Rose.

"Rose!" Rixel ran over to the girl. She must have startled her, because Rose seemed more shocked than happy to see her. She didn't even hug Rixel back right away. But when she did, she started to sob.

"I thought you'd left me again." Rose cried.

"I know. I'm sorry. I always come back, though, don't I?"

"Yeah, but usually not right away."

"Right away?" Rixel pulled back. "When did you last see me?"

Rose sniffed. "A few minutes ago. He...he sent us back. Said it was too dangerous That he was going to...to..." She started to cry again.

"The Daleks?" Rixel asked.

Rose nodded.

Rixel didn't know what to say. Yesterday she would have done anything to get back to Rose and the Doctor in this exact moment, but now that she was here she couldn't believe it. That'd never happened before.

"Ok. We need to find a way back."

"We can't!" Rose sobbed. "I already tried! The stupid thing won't budge!"

"The Tardis isn't stupid." Rixel snapped back. Both of them were surprised by her reaction. Just because other people said the Tardis was alive didn't mean Rixel believed it. Nor that it was smart. She shook her head. Didn't matter. "Come on. We have to keep trying! We can save him!"

"I don't know how!" Rose said.

Rixel grabbed her arm and pulled her up to her feet. "Between you and me, we will figure it out. Come on!"


	28. Phoenix

**Tardis**

Rixel walked over to the controls. He'd sent them back so they wouldn't be in danger. It was noble, really, but not smart. No, not smart at all. He'd survive. She knew that because she'd seen him in later years. And if there was anything she'd learned this whole time, it was that the Doctor became a better man with his companions. She'd seen the way he looked at Rose. And it was obvious she liked him too. Forget River being his wife. Right now at least, he liked Rose. So why push her away when he needed her the most?

"How could he just chuck us out like that?" Rose grumbled as she fiddled with the controls.

Rixel frowned as she watched Rose. That strange golden glow was everywhere, burning inside her ever so faintly. She could fly the Tardis, she knew that, but she was missing something. One small tiny thing. And she had no idea what it was.

"I can't stay here! I have to go back! He's dying!"

Rixel sighed. "Maybe we can start it from outside."

"Outside?" Rose frowned. "He's never started if from outside before. Okay, to send us here, he did, but that was probably with his sonic screwdriver and we don't have one of those!"

Rixel sighed. She didn't like what Rose was hitting on the control panel. She was doing it all wrong. If she only had a moment to push the controls herself, she might be able to figure it out.

"Wait." Rose stopped in front of a sealed panel. "In here, the Doctor said it was the heart of the Tardis."

"And?"

"If I could just pry it open..." Rose grunted as she tried to pull off the panel.

Perfect. "Go outside and see if you can find anything to pop it off."

Rose looked up at her with the first sign of hope in her eyes. "Right!" She trotted back outside.

Rixel sighed and walked around the controls. She wasn't sure how, but she had a sort of clue as to how to fly this thing. She flipped up a switch and the lights came on inside. Her heart sped up. She pushed another button and flipped another switch, but nothing more happened. No whirring. No starting up. It just sat there.

She kept trying for a few more minutes until Rose came back.

"You got the lights on!" Rose said. "How'd you do that?"

"Dunno." Rixel replied. "But it's all I got."

The blond started attacking the panel. Rixel sighed and walked outside. She needed to think.

* * *

Outside, the sun was bright. Rixel leaned up against the stone wall and sighed. All this jumping around in time was confusing her mind. She never had time to just stand still and think. Her mind was still going over the Utopian project at the Master's place. It was hard to shift focus over to this now.

All this thinking was giving her a headache. The kind of headache that pained her whole body. Rixel groaned softly. She was tired of always being in pain. Then the pain increased. She grabbed her locket. Hot as fire.

"Not again!"

And then everything changed.

She was back in the lab. Not her parents lab, the Master's lab. She blinked. She was still sitting on the chair she'd been in before she left, but he was over in the corner, scribbling something down.

She gasped. It was soft, but enough to alert him she was there.

He spun around, startled. "Phoneix! You're okay!" He ran over to her and gave her a hug. "I was so worried! I didn't know your friends number or I would have called! A few more minutes and I would have called the police!"

She didn't know what to say. So now she was jumping outside of the Tardis. And far too often. And...back to places she'd already been. This was all too new and unsettling for her. She couldn't help it, she started to cry.

"No, no, don't cry!" He leaned back and wiped her hair away from her face. "It's okay. You're alright now."

Rixel dropped her hands into her lap. "I don't know what to do! I can't control it!"

"It's okay. It's alright." He pulled up a chair in front of her. "What happened? You were here one minute then gone the next."

Tears fell from her eyes every time she blinked. "I keep jumping back and forth! It's so quick now! I don't...I don't-"

"Shhhh." He put his hand on her knee. "It's okay. Just tell me what happened."

Rixel sniffed. Then she started talking.

She told him everything. Well, not EVERYTHING, but quite a bit. She told him that she'd been traveling with a man called the Doctor and for some reason she kept jumping around in his timeline. Before it had always been when she was inside his space ship, but she'd gotten thrown back in time by some weeping angel and now she was jumping back to where she'd already been and she wasn't in the Tardis and it all had something to do with the elemental compound her parents were working on and huon energy and him but she didn't know because he wasn't here and he couldn't be for three weeks and now she was stuck with River, who she liked, but if she kept jumping she didn't know what she'd do.

She had no idea why she told him. She was just so incredibly upset and frustrated and tired and scared that she had to tell someone. And part of her wanted to tell him. He was a scientist. He might be able to take a look at the C-14 and help her.

The whole time, he just listened to her. He didn't interrupt or ask questions. He nodded in all the right places and kept stroking her hair and offering a smile. She knew that wasn't a normal reaction to the bizarre story she was telling, but she didn't care. After she was done, she buried her head in her hands and sobbed. He hugged her for a moment, then started with the questions.

"Are you okay?"

Rixel shook her head. "I'm scared."

"I imagine." He said, softly. "Your friend, River, where is she? Back at the hotel?"

Rixel nodded.

"Does she know all this?"

Rixel shrugged. "She knows me already. She's from my future. I don't know what she knows."

He nodded. "So she probably does. That's good."

Rixel wiped away her tears. "You don't think I'm crazy?"

He hesitated. "I would...but you disappeared right in front of my eyes. I have no idea what other explanation there could be."

Rixel sniffed. She felt incredibly embarrassed. It was becoming a common theme around him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He patted her shoulder. "I have a question though."

"What?"

"If you think it's the locket, and the elemental compound inside the locket, why haven't you gotten rid of it yet?"

Rixel bit her lip. She hadn't told him that the Doctor stole her from the lab. Or that her parents were dead. Or that the Doctor said she would save the world from the virus that kills everyone. "It's my mother's locket."

"I know, but, you could get something else of hers, right?"

Rixel shrugged.

"If it's causing you this much pain, do you really want to keep it?"

She thought about that. In a way, he was sort of right. If she tossed the necklace out in space, she could just stay with the Doctor forever and travel the stars with him. There was nowhere else for her to go. She could stay with the Doctor and Rose. Or River. Whomever he was really with.

"I...I can't."

He nodded slowly. "I understand."

"You do?"

He looked over at the microscope. "You can't throw away something so...powerful. Something you created. No matter how dangerous it is."

Rixel looked down at her hands. Yeah, he really did understand.

He stood up. "You should probably go back to your friend now. You look exhausted."

"I am." Her voice wavered on the verge of bursting into tears again. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He reassured her. "Go. Get some rest. Science can wait for you to feel better."

She nodded and stood up. He was right. More than anything, she just needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow she'd talk to River and explain she was jumping around in time. Then, if she felt better, maybe she could have the Master look at the C-14 she had. Maybe he could figure out how to fix it.

"Thank you, Master."

He grinned at her. "Goodnight, Phoenix."

* * *

When Rixel got back to the hotel, her eyes were mostly dry, but they were still puffy and red. River instantly knew something was wrong, but Rixel didn't want to talk. She just wanted to go to bed. After a small conversation and a promise that she'd explain everything tomorrow – and no, it wasn't Dr. Harold's fault – River finally allowed her to go to bed.

She rolled over, leaving her back towards River. She felt bad for not explaining everything right away, but something didn't make sense. If River was sent back here by herself, wouldn't she have warned her that this would happen?

That night, she dreamed of Rose in the Tardis. The two of them kept trying to pry open the panel, but it wouldn't budge. Her mind was busy trying to figure out the answer, but Rose kept looking at the panel. There was something there, but Rixel couldn't quite make it out. It was only there in the corner of her eyes. The answer staring her in the face and she just couldn't see it.

"When the Pandorica opens, you have to tell him." Rose said.

"What?" Rixel replied.

"You have to tell him then, not earlier." Rose said. The Tardis was gone now. The two of them were standing in a field of sunflowers.

"Tell him what? Who?"

"The Doctor." Rose replied. Then she burst into tears. "We have to get back to him or he'll die!"

Rixel bolted up in bed, breathing hard. She was in the hotel room. River was asleep in the bed next to her. The room was dark except for the glow of the bathroom light through the small crack in the door. Rixel took in a deep breath. A dream. A weird dream, but just a dream. She laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. It was a horrible Spackle ceiling that looked like it would hurt if she touched it. She closed her eyes. Images of the Tardis and Rose flashed by. Why couldn't she just figure it out? She was missing something so incredibly obvious! She knew she could get the Tardis to fly again if she could just think!

Then her locket started to burn.

* * *

Rixel stared at the Tardis in front of her. She was back on the stone wall, sitting there. She could hear Rose crying out from inside the Tardis. Had the blond even noticed she'd been gone? Rixel pushed herself away from the wall and walked towards the Tardis.

As she did so, something caught her eye. A bright flash of yellow and orange. She stopped and took a few steps back. There, graffitied on the side of a building, was a phoenix.

"I have to be there! I have to help him!" Rose screamed in frustration from inside the Tardis.

Rixel turned. On the street, there was a car with a phoenix dangling from the rear view mirror. And the name of the apartment complex across the street was Phoenix Heights. And then again, graffitied on another wall, the word phoenix. How...strange. The Master called her Phoenix. Her nickname. And hadn't the Doctor mentioned a phoenix back in the underground lab?

She looked over at Rose and her eyes widened. "Rose."

"I need to get back there and help him escape!"

"Rose!" Rixel yelled.

"Wh-what?" Rose looked over at her with red eyes.

Rixel paused. Then slowly, she started to smile. "I...I think I know how to get back."

"What?" Rose walked over towards the door and leaned halfway out. "What did you say?"

Rixel looked over at her and smiled. "I think I understand. I think we can get back."

"How?"

Rixel glanced behind her at the giant phoenix. She wasn't entirely sure, but this was all clicking. Pheonix was a code word. Something to tie everything together. It all lead to her. And she always teleported to the Doctor. Except now. It was like she drifted off orbit. But the Phoenix, it would help her get back. She just needed to figure out how. She raced in the door and up to the control panel. Rose watched as she dashed around, pushing buttons and pulling levers. Rixel had no idea what she was doing, but at the same time she knew she was doing everything right. She paused for just a moment and looked over at Rose.

"Do you trust me?"

Rose nodded eagerly.

Rixel pressed the last lever forward, and the Tardis started to whir.


	29. back and forth

**Tardis**

Rixel stepped back as the center of the Tardis started to move up and down. Rose ran over and gave her a hug.

"You did it!" Rose exclaimed.

Rixel watched as the Tardis moved. She had done it. She still couldn't even believe it. She had no idea what had just happened. She turned her head towards Rose and smiled. Her head started to nod, and before she knew it, both of them were jumping around the Tardis in excitement.

As the Tardis started to slow down, Rixel felt her locket start to burn.

"No!" She clentched the locket in her hand. Why did it always happen so quickly now? She was just about to get back to the Doctor and fix everything! Why?

"What's wrong?" Rose paused, looking over at her.

"I'm jumping again!" Rixel growled. She was so tired of this.

"But we're here." Rose said. "We're back, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry." The pain flared throughout Rixel's body. She leaned over and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was back in the hotel room. The lights were still off, and River snored softly off to her side. Rixel bit her lip. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't let herself. It didn't matter how crazy things got, she seemed to be safe. She was only jumping between these two times. It was often, yes, but it was always with people she knew. She trusted Rose and River both, and knew that she was safe with them.

Rixel laid back down and closed her eyes. First thing in the morning, she was going to have Dr. Harold look at the C-14.

* * *

"Breakfast?"

Rixel groaned as she rolled over. River was sitting on her bed with a bowl of cereal in her hands. She looked over at the clock. 10:30.

"Did I really sleep that long?" Rixel sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Sleeping in is good for you." River grinned. "Don't let the Doctor tell you otherwise."

"He always lets me sleep in."

"Lucky." River frowned for a second, but it quickly turned into that dreamy smile she got whenever she talked about the Doctor. "He barely lets me sleep."

Rixel didn't want to know what that meant. She swung her legs off the bed. "I going to shower first."

"Oh, don't forget your clothes." River pointed to the dresser. "You should wear that red jacket we got."

Rixel grabbed some jeans, a shirt and the red jacket and went into the bathroom.

* * *

Her reflection in the mirror was horrible. She watched herself as she undressed and waited for the water to warm up. Her hair was crumpled, but that was from sleep. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. And her face just looked so different. It was the face of a nine year old. True, she was nine, and she'd seen her reflection thousands of times in those three years that she remembered oh so very well, but those years hadn't happened. They weren't real.

After her shower, Rixel took her time getting dressed. She stared at the locket sitting on the sink. Dr. Harold was right. If she didn't put the necklace back on, it would guarantee her not jumping. But what if Rose needed her? What if she didn't jump and missed saving the Doctors life? Or worse, what if it killed Rose?

She tossed the necklace on and headed out of the room.

"Ah, good." River sat up and looked away from the TV. "My turn."

Rixel hopped up on the bed and picked up the remote. "Water takes forever to heat up."

"My bad." River sighed. "We should move to a nicer hotel today. What do you think?" She walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Do you have the money for all this?" Rixel asked.

"Don't worry about that!" River shouted from in the bathroom. "Just don't tell the Doctor and we'll be fine."

Rixel grinned. "Are you cheating?"

"What? Me? Never!" River shouted back. Then the water started.

Rixel leaned back and started to flip through the channels. Nothing interesting was on. She was excited to hurry up and see the Master, but she decided to wait for River. After everything that was happening, she wanted to at least have River know where she was at all times. That was important.

* * *

"Come on, it's over here!" Rixel dragged River along the streets towards the apothecary store.

"I'm coming, Rix. You don't need to run." River said, almost laughing.

As they aprroched the store, the closed sign was hanging out front. Rixel dropped River's hand and ran over towards the door. She knocked.

"It says closed." River said.

"I know, but he's gotta be here." Rixel cupped her hands and peering into the window.

"I don't think so, honey."

"No, he's here. Trust me." Rixel looked around. She could see the red velvet curtain, but it wasn't opening. She knocked again, this time harder.

"Rixel, I think he's out." River sighed. She stepped back and looked up at the building.

"He's always here." Rixel said.

River gave her another minute, then tugged her arm. "Come on. Let's go find a different hotel, okay? A nicer one. Maybe with a suite. Doesn't a jacuzzi tub sound really good?"

Rixel sighed and pushed away from the window. As she did so, she thought she saw something move inside. River was already pulling her away, though. She decided it must have just been her imagination. She sighed in defeat, and turned to walk with River as the curly haired woman talked about her dream hotel room.

* * *

The problem with small towns is they don't have large luxurious hotels. There's no reason to. After searching around, River finally settled on a small hotel suite. It didn't have the jacuzzi tub River wanted, but it did have a living room separate from the bedroom. River announced she'd sleep out there so Rixel could have her own private bedroom. Honestly, Rixel didn't care too much. A hotel room was just a place to sleep. And not for too long, either. Just three weeks.

For lunch, they went back to the pizza place. Both before and after they ate, Rixel dragged River over towards the apothecary store. Both times, the store was closed and there was no answer. Rixel didn't understand. He said he would always be there. He knew she was going to come by today. Where was he?

"Maybe he had to leave on a family emergency." River suggested.

"That sounds a bit weird."

River shrugged. "It's better than saying he just doesn't want to see you."

"Why wouldn't he want to see me?" Rixel asked, panicking a little.

"Oh, honey, I was just teasing." River bumped her shoulder. "Who wouldn't want to see you?"

Rixel pouted. "I wanted him to look at something."

"Well, show me instead."

Rixel shook her head. "You wouldn't get it."

"You know, I have my doctorate. I might understand."

"In science?" Rixel asked.

"Archeology." River replied.

Rixel shuddered. "History?"

"The artifacts of history, yes." River laughed a bit. "It's still a lot of studying."

"Do you understand how the cell structure from the spinal cord reacts to the Rubella virus?"

River paused. "Not really..."

Rixel shrugged. "Yeah, not everyone can be a genius like me."

River gasped. She grasped Rixel around the waist and spun her around in a circle. "Cheeky little girl!"

Rixel laughed. "Put me down!"

"Not until you say something someone stupid like me would understand!"

"No way! You're too dumb for me!"

"Say it!" River spun her around.

"Never!" Rixel laughed.

There was a strange vibration that rumbled against her stomach. At first Rixel though she might be hungry, but then River put her down. As soon as she let go, the rumbling stopped. River looked down at that strange black bracelet around her wrist and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Rixel asked, rubbing her cheeks. They hurt from laughing so hard.

"My vortex manipulator." River said. She flipped up a panel. "Something's not right."

"What is it?" Rixel stood up on her toes and tried to see what was under the panel.

River flipped it down and sighed. "Don't worry about it. This is you and me time. Come on, let's go try something new."

"Can we go to a pet store?" Rixel asked. She'd always wanted to see a kitten in real life.

River shrugged. "Let's go see if this boring old town has one. Just a quick pop back to the hotel for a restroom break, and you can check in the phone book."

Rixel nodded.

* * *

The moment River shut the door to the bathroom, Rixel's locket began to burn. She wasn't sure if she should say anything to River. The way things were going, she'd probably be back in a matter of minutes. Maybe River wouldn't even know she was gone. She decided against saying anything.

She blinked, and she was back in the Tardis. Rose was standing at the door.

"Rixel?" She asked, a bit confused.

Rixel grabbed her head. She felt dizzy. Maybe all this jumping wasn't good for her. "Yeah, sorry. I'm here."

"I thought you'd left me again."

"Well, I did. But I'm back now." Rixel shook her head and headed down the ramp. "Let's go save the Doctor."

Rose smiled and nodded weakly. "Okay."

They walked out the Tardis door into the cold gold ship of the Daleks. Rixel half expected it to be flooded with the horrible robots, but it wasn't. They were alone, for now at least.

"Do you remember the way?" Rixel asked. For Rose, it was only an hour ago at most they were here. For Rixel, it had been days. She didn't think she could remember it. Not with how crazy everything had been lately.

Rose nodded and started to walk down the hall. They creeped along the wall, listening carefully. The lights were all on this time, and Rixel worried about security cameras. Oh well. Not much of a choice they had now. They'd just deal with the robots when they found them.

Eventually they made it back to that strange cage the Doctor had been it, but now it was empty. Rose ran up to the bar and grabbed it tightly. "Where is he?"

Rixel shook her head. "I don't know."

"We have to find him!"

Rixel almost laughed. "Yes, Rose. I know. That's why we are here."

Rose paused for a moment, then smiled. "Right, sorry. I'm just scared is all."

"I know." Rixel nodded. She was terrified as well, but not for the Doctor. She knew he'd be alright. She was scared of jumping at the wrong time. Now that she was so close to the Doctor, she couldn't leave.

They left the room and continued down the hall. There were no noises anywhere. Rixel started to worry that the Daleks had taken the Doctor and left the ship.

"Left or right?" Rose asked as they came to a junction.

Rixel frowned. "I don't know."

"You think we should split up?"

"We'll never find each other again." Rixel shook her head. "We need to stay together no matter what."

Rose nodded, then started down the left hall. Rixel followed behind her. They peered in several doors, but everything was empty. They came across what appeared to be a small engine room. It was noisy in there with the small engines going, so they decided to check out the room just in case the Doctor was in there.

Rixel walked along one row of engines. The hum of the engine was so low that it vibrated her her chest. As she concentrated on that feeling, she felt the locket start to burn.

"Seriously?" Rixel growled. "This is annoying!"

Rose looked over at her and frowned. "I know. But you're right. We'll find him."

"Not that." Rixel sighed. The pain raced up her back and into her head. "I'm going again. Rose, stay right here. I'll be back."

Rose's eyes widened slightly in fear. "You're leavin'? Now? Here?"

Rixel closed her eyes and nodded. Used to the pain or not, it still hurt. She bit her tongue.

* * *

The pain vanished, and Rixel found herself sitting on the bed in the hotel room. The lights were out and Rixel didn't hear anyone in the bathroom.

"River?" She got up to her feet and looked around. She flicked on the lamp. No one was in the room. She checked in her bedroom, but no one was there either.

Rixel left the hotel room. She wondered how long she'd been gone. River must be worried about her. She was probably out searching for her. But where? Rixel wondered down to the front desk.

"Excuse me." Rixel said to the dark haired man behind the counter. "My friend isn't in our room. I don't suppose she's asked about me?"

"What room are you in?" The man didn't look amused.

"Um, 311."

He looked down at his computer screen. "Oh, curly haired woman?"

Rixel nodded.

"Yeah, she asked if a girl had come through here. I told her no, then she left."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No." He said, obviously annoyed.

"Okay." Rixel pushed away from the counter and headed out the door. She figured there were only a few spots in town River could be. It was, after all, a rather small place. First thing Rixel did was walk down to the hotel they were at before. She asked the front desk, but they said they hadn't seen River. After that failure, Rixel decided the pizza place was as good a place as any.

The pizza place was just closing up as she arrived. No sign of River. She didn't bother going inside. The windows were big enough for her to see River wasn't inside. Where could she be?

Rixel shoved her hands in her pockets and started to walk back to the hotel. She probably should just wait in the room until River came back. That was the most logical thing to do, really.

Rixel paused in front of the apothecary store. The sign still said closed, but she could see a soft light coming from behind the red curtain. Why not? She walked over to the door and knocked. A moment later the curtain ruffled, and Dr. Harold came out. He smiled at her, then opened the door.

"Phoenix! So glad you came!"

Rixel looked at him with a slight puzzlement. "I came earlier, but you weren't here."

"So sorry about that." He said, ushering her into the back lab. "Something came up. But you're here now, and I want to show you something."

Earlier that morning she'd been so eager to show him the C-14, but now she wasn't so sure. She trusted him, it wasn't that, it was just...she was so tired. All this jumping was mixing up her thoughts. She didn't think she'd be able to give his exploration of the C-14 the proper attention it needed.

"I fixed the problem with the Rubella." The Master said, pulling up a second chair for her. "You were right. It was all in the proteins."

"Has River come here looking for me by any chance?" Rixel blurted out.

He stopped and looked at her. "No, sorry. No one's been by."

Rixel sighed. "I see."

"What's wrong? Is she missing?"

"More like I'm the one missing." Rixel mumbled.

He paused, then leaned towards her. "Did you...vanish again?"

She nodded. This was were she probably should burst into tears again, but instead she just felt numb. Her body was too worn out. "And then River was gone. I know she's looking for me."

"Pheonix, maybe you should go back to the hotel and wait for her." He frowned.

"But I want to see what you did to fix the problem."

He pushed the microscope away. "That can wait until tomorrow. There's no need for you to get in trouble over this."

Rixel frowned. She really liked him. He was concerned about her in a way that the even the Doctor never seemed to notice. "Okay. You'll be here tomorrow then?"

He nodded. "Unless an emergency comes up, yes."

Rixel sighed, and left.

* * *

Back at the hotel, she found River waiting for her. Apparently she'd gotten back and was told by the receptionist that Rixel was out looking for her. So she waited. As Rixel came into the room, River gave her a giant hug and said she'd missed her. Rixel asked how long she'd been gone.

"It's been about 5 hours since I last saw you." River said, still hugging the girl. "I was so worried."

"5 hours?" Rixel froze. She hadn't been gone that long the other times she jumped. That worried her. What if she was gone for that long back with Rose? Rose and the Doctor couldn't wait that long.

River placed Rixel on the bed and knelt down in front of her. "Now. I expect it's about time you tell me what's going on."

Rixel shuddered, then nodded. She explained to River how she always jumped in the Tardis before, but now she was doing it outside the Tardis. She explained her 'out of orbit' theory, and said that if she could only get back to the Doctor on the Dalek ship that everything should be set right again. More importantly, she explained that it had to be the locket, and the locket alone, that was causing her to jump.

"He kept saying Huon energy, but I don't know what that means." Rixel finished.

"That from the Tardis." River explained. "It's part of how the Tardis functions, with Huon energy."

Rixel nodded. "Then why am I jumping now?"

"Don't know." River held the locket in her hands, turning it over. "Maybe some of it is still lingering in this locket. Or maybe it absorbed inside of you. Either way, I don't think getting back to the Doctor on the Dalek ship will help."

"You don't?" Rixel wined.

River shook her head. "No, but maybe the Tardis now can help. This is the first time you've been away from the Tardis since this all started happening, right?"

Rixel nodded.

"Then maybe when you get back to the Tardis, you can reset the jumping. Maybe the Huon energy inside your locket is slowly fading, and that's what's causing it to jump so much." River placed the locket on the table next to her. "You should keep it off for now."

"But Rose needs me!" Rixel said.

"You look exhausted." River place a hand on Rixel's cheek. "All this jumping around. You only need to save the world once, honey. Leave the rest of the times to someone else."

"What?" Rixel flinched, pulling back away from her.

"You know. The whole saving the world thing. The Doctor does it all the time, and frankly, I think it's time someone else jumped in. You've both done enough."

"He's been telling you I save the world." Rixel frowned. "That's what this is, isn't it."

"Of course." River said. "Conqueror of the Requiem. Everyone knows about it. It's a big deal in the future."

Rixel narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything. So the Doctor had lied to River, too. She wondered how much he told her. Did he also say that her parents were still alive and 'suggested' that she go with the Doctor? Frustrated, Rixel flopped back onto the bed.

"You alright, honey?"

"Fine." Rixel grumbled. "Just tired."

"Alright. I'll leave you to rest." River got up and left the small bedroom. She closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Rixel grabbed the locket and put it back on. She felt a bit bad. She wasn't mad at River, she was mad at the Doctor. But she had no one else to take it out on. She rolled over and curled up with the pillow. She didn't even bother changing, she just slept in her clothes. She was just too tired.


	30. theft of the vortex manipulator

**Oklahoma, 2011**

The next two weeks flew by without incident. By incident, she meant she didn't jump. At first, Rixel was extremely worried. She started to panic that Rose would be stranded there alone and the Doctor needed her. River eventually calmed her down, explaining that maybe Rose found the Doctor and it reset the jumping. In a way, it made sense. Sort of.

Still, Rixel noticed how strange River was when she spoke about Rose. It was a bit...unnerving.

Rixel spent at least an hour a day at the Master's lab, usually after lunch. River would take her out to the pizza place (pizza never got old), and then she'd go to the lab while River went shopping. Wow, did that woman love to shop. Rixel couldn't understand that.

Seeing the Master was good for her, though. He backed up River's theory, and assured her that the Doctor was fine. Every time Rixel would start to worry, he'd distract her with a new protein or virus addition to his Utopia. It was nice. Whenever she was with him, she didn't worry about the Doctor so much. After all, the Master was smart. He knew what he was talking about.

Sort of.

That was the thing. Rixel had spent her entire life, well, up until three years ago, about geniuses in the biochemistry field. Every one of the scientists in her parents lab were hand picked from the best of the best. They were the smartest in their field. While the Master was smart, a genius really, he wasn't so much in the field of biochemistry. He was quick to learn, and picked up on things even faster than she did, but it was almost like he was learning about biochemistry as he went. She wasn't sure she'd call him a master in that field. Every once in a while, he'd say something that didn't quite make sense. Or he'd get something simple like red blood cells and platelets confused.

Still, he was a genius. Rixel eventually decided that this was only the year 2011. Science had changed so drastically from this time to the time her parents were. His lack of knowledge was probably just limited to the time frame and nothing else.

She also started to worry less and less about Rose and the Doctor as the close of the three weeks was coming. River seemed especially excited. The Doctor would be here soon and then Rixel would be safely back with him. Well, not really safe, but...comfortable? No, that wasn't the word.

"Home." River told her when the red-headed girl explained the feeling to her.

"Home?" Rixel asked. She looked up from the piece of pizza she had.

"That what the Tardis is. To both you and me." River said. "It's home."

Rixel nodded and took a bit of her food. Yes, she supposed that was true. She missed the Doctor. And her room. And everything about the Tardis, really. It would be nice to go back home.

After they finished their lunch, they parted ways and Rixel headed off to the apothecary shop. She'd tried to take Rive a couple of times over the past two weeks, but every time she did, the Master was gone. Of course, she never called him the Master to River. And she never told River that he called her Phoenix, either. It was their little secret.

"How was lunch?" The Master asked as Rixel stepped in through the door.

"River's very happy to be leaving soon." Rixel announced.

"Oh?" The Master frowned. "That's right. Your three weeks is almost up, isn't it."

She nodded. "Then I go back home."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask about that. Instead, he changed the subject. "Any jumping since yesterday?"

Rixel shook her head. They walked through the red velvet curtains into the lab. In the past two weeks, she'd grown quite familiar with the lab. He'd even let her start her own experiments. She just did simple things, really. She didn't want to start with C-14 around him. Not yet. But now that time was running out, maybe she should ask him to take a look at it. He wasn't the biochemist master she'd originally thought, but he was still very smart. He might see something she didn't.

"You think Rose is okay?"

Rixel looked over at him. "What?"

"Well, you've done nothing but worry about her for the past two weeks." The Master said, sitting down in his usually chair. "And today you don't see that concerned. I was just wondering if maybe you decided she was okay."

She bit her lip. That was true. Why should she stop worrying now? Probably because when the Tardis got here, she could make sure Rose was okay then? No, that didn't make sense. She couldn't control when and where she jumped. "I...I don't know."

"It's okay, Phoenix." The Master smiled. "I'm sure she's fine."

She watched as he turned his attention back to his work. This was where she was suppose to focus on her little experiment, but she didn't want to. She wanted to talk to the Master. She liked him, he was her friend, and she'd be leaving him soon. She didn't want to leave him.

"Master?"

He looked up from the microscope at her. "Yes, Phoenix?"

Rixel twiddled her thumbs. "You sure she's fine?"

He got up from his chair and walked over to her. "Oh, I'm sure she is. What was it? The robots? Um, Daleks, yes? I bet she defeated every last one of them with your doctor friend and now their coming to pick you up next week."

Hm. Rixel wondered which Doctor was coming to pick her up. She worried it might be a new one since she'd never met River before. Another Doctor. How strange. "Sorry, I'm just concerned."

"Good." He nodded. "I was worried you might have just given up on her. You know, there may be...no. Nevermind."

"What?" Rixel asked.

"I was just thinking about something you told me earlier." He waved his hand about casually. "With River's vortex manipulator."

"It's how she travels in time." Rixel said. "Unlike me, she can control it. It's how she got here to pick me up."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking about." He paused for a moment. "Not to be rude or anything, but couldn't you use it to get back to Rose?"

Rixel stared at him. She'd never thought of that. How could she have missed that? It was so obvious! "I-I guess so."

"It's just a suggestion." He waved it off. "Nothing too important. After all, I'm sure River's offered it to you a million times by now. Especially after how worried you've been."

Rixel shook her head. She was still in a bit of shock. "No, no she hasn't."

"She hasn't?" The Master frowned. "Oh, well I'm sure there's a good reason for that."

Rixel scratched her head. How could she never have thought of that before? The key to everything was right there the whole time! "I don't know how to use it."

The Master smiled. "Come on. We're geniuses. You don't think we could figure that out?"

Rixel looked up at him. He was right. They could figure it out. And since it was technically a time machine, she could go help Rose and then come back. River would never even know she went missing.

"It's just a suggestion." The Master said again. "I mean, if I was so incredibly worried about a dear friend, like you for instance, I'd do anything to help."

The red-headed girl smiled. This would actually work. "I'll bring it over tonight."

* * *

That night, back at the hotel, Rixel waited until River fell asleep. She leaned up against the bedroom door and waited patiently. The TV eventually turned off. After a few more minutes, she could hear River's soft snore. That's when she made her move.

Rixel opened the door slowly. Every few seconds she'd pause and make sure River was still snoring. She crept across the room towards the unfolded couch bed that River slept on. It was hard to see. The only light came from a small window above River's head. Even then, the light was only from a half moon. Not very much.

On the coffee table off to the side was River's belongings. A heavy belt with a big leather pouch. A gun that looked very futuristic, even to Rixel. Some lipstick and mascara. And the vortex manipulator.

Rixel slowly picked up what she'd originally thought was a strange black bracelet. It was lighter than she expected. She didn't dare flip up the panel in here. It might light up or make a sound that could wake River. Instead, she tucked the vortex manipulator around her wrist and headed towards the door.

River moaned softly in her sleep, then turned over.

Rixel froze. After a few moments, she pulled down on the door handle. Light from the hallway streamed into the room, directly on River's bed. The red-headed girl froze. There was no easy way to do this. She opened the door a little bit more. Just enough that her tiny frame could squeeze through. She waited. River was still snoring softly.

With a deep breath, Rixel shifted out the door.

* * *

As she ran towards the apothecary store, the vortex manipulator felt heavier and heavier on her arm. She felt incredibly guilty for taking it, but she knew she had to. If she'd asked, River would have said no. It was too close to the Doctor coming. She'd tell her to wait. But Rixel couldn't wait a moment longer. Rose needed her.

She pounded on the glass door of the apothecary. A few moments later, Dr. Harold appeared with a smile. He let her in and the two of them dashed back into the lab.

"Is that it?" He pointed to her wrist.

She nodded.

"Right, well, let's take a look at it, shall we?"

Rixel reached down to grab the strap to pull it off when her chest started to burn. She paused for a moment, then pulled her locket out. She looked up at the Master with wide eyes. "No way!"

"What?" His eyes flicked from her to the vortex manipulator.

"I...I'm jumping." The pain flared up into her head.

"Now?" He asked. "Quick, take off the vortex manipulator."

Rixel tried, but it was too late. Dr. Harold vanished in front of her. The room materialized into a a cold golden ship. Rose was standing just in front of her, looking a little worried.

"You okay?" Rose asked.

Rixel ran forward and hugged her. "Rose!"

Rose laughed a little. "You gonna hug me every time you see me?"

"I might, yeah." Rixel said. It had been far too long since she'd seen her. "We're still on the ship. That's good."

"Well, you were only gone, like 3 seconds."

Rixel took a step back. "Three seconds! It's been two weeks!"

Rose shook her head. "Nope. You vanished, then reappeared almost right away."

Rixel looked down at the locket. What the hell?

The two girl scurried through the ship, hoping to find some sign of the Doctor. After what seemed like an hour, they finally heard voices coming from a corridor. Rixel tried to map the route back to the Tardis from where they were, but she didn't even really know where they were. They'd been wondering too long. Oh well. They'd figure that out once they got the Doctor.

Rose peered in through circular window in the door, then ducked down.

"He's in there, alright. With a bunch of Daleks."

Rixel thought for a moment. "We need to sneak in somehow. Maybe if the Doctor sees us, he can figure out a way to trick the Daleks. But he needs to know we are here."

Rose nodded in agreement. She pointed down at Rixel's wrist. "What's that, anyway? A weapon?"

Rixel lifted her arm up, exposing the vortex manipulator. "Oh, no. It's River's. I took it to try and find a way back to you."

"River? Whose River?"

Rixel stared at her. "She knew about you, I guess I just thought..." She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Come on."

They walked along the wall, looking for an alternative way into the room. They found another door a bit further down. Rose glanced in the window and nodded her head. The girls slowly opened the door and slipped in. A giant gold pipe came down the wall, hiding them completely.

"The Doctor will explain!" One of the Daleks shouted.

Rose and Rixel leaned around the pipe just a little bit. They could hear everything, but it was hard to see. As soon as the Doctor was in their sights, they stopped. They didn't want the Daleks to see them. But the Doctor's back was to them. He'd never see them if he didn't turn around.

"Oh, bug off." The Doctor said. His voice was raspy, like he was in pain.

"Explain!" The Dalek said again. "The Doctor said the Earth will survive, but the Daleks have seen the end of the Earth!"

"I already told you, the world ends, but then it survives!"

Rixel looked across the room from where they were. There was another large pipe, but it was too far away to run it. If she moved from behind where they were, they'd be seen.

"A plague destroys all of humanity!" The Dalek said. "We will have this plague!"

"We will have it!" Another Dalek shouted.

"No, you won't!" The Doctor yelled back.

Rixel pointed over to the other pipe. Rose shook her head. It was too dangerous. Rixel sighed. They needed to get the Doctors attention somehow, though.

"We will have it, or we will kill your friends!"

"You can't." The Doctor almost laughed, but it was riddled with pain. "They're gone. Safely back home. Looks like it's just you and me."

"We will destroy the Earth and kill your friends!" The Dalek replied.

"You can't." The Doctor argued. "She's time locked, remember?"

Rixel stopped and looked over at the Doctor. Was he really still lying? To the Daleks?

"She causes the plague that destroys humanity!" The Dalek said. "We will have her!"

What? Rixel looked over at Rose, but the blond still seemed to be searching for a way to get the Doctors attention.

"You can try. But even you lot aren't stupid enough to kill her. You hurt her, you mess up a whole stream of events." The Doctor growled. He bent forward, gripping his stomach. For a second there, Rixel thought she saw something gold shimmer over his skin, but then it was gone. Must have been a reflection from the ship around them.

"She will give us the plague!"

"We have found her!" One of the other Daleks came in through the first door Rose had looked through. "She is in the Tardis!"

"Impossible!" The Doctor shouted. "I sent the Tardis away!"

"It is back!" The Dalek announced.

This was it. Rose and Rixel exchanged glances. Well, at least he knew they were there. Problem was, so did the Daleks.

"Go and get her!" One of the Daleks said.

"Leave her alone!" The Doctor yelled. He took a step forward, but then doubled over in pain.

"We must find her!"

All of the Daleks except for one left the room. Rixel and Rose leaned up against the pipe as they passed by their door, but none of them came in. They were safe. Sort of.

Rose looked at Rixel. Can we take one? She mouthed.

Rixel shook her head. The Daleks were robots. There wasn't much they could do. She hoped the Doctor would start looking around.

"You will give it to us!" The Dalek said. "Or she will be exterminated!"

"I already told you. No." The Doctor grumbled, then dropped down to his knees.

Apparently, it was too much for Rose, she gasped as he fell.

"Who is there?" The Dalek demanded. He started to move towards the pipe.

The Doctor glanced over at them with wide eyes. Confusion and fear flashed through them. He jumped up to his feet and tried to grab the Dalek, but he was too weak. The Dalek continued towards them.

Rose spun around, back to the pipe. Her breath came in shallow gasps. Rixel looked up at her for direction, but the blond was too scared. She was panicking. Rixel took a deep breath. Ok. She hoped for everyone's sake that the Dalek's believed the Doctor's lies. Oh, she really hoped they did.

Rixel stepped out from behind the pipe, exposing herself.

"Rixel!" The Doctor yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your life, if you don't mind." She tried to speak calmly, but her hands were trembling. "What are you doing?"

"I was saving yours!" The Doctor shouted back. "I sent you away!"

She shrugged. "That's the problem with me. I keep turning up."

"You will be exterminated!" The Dalek said.

"Now, hold on a second." Rixel took a step forward and held up her finger. "There's a problem with that, and you know it. See, you can't kill me. Apparently I'm all time locked and stuff."

"Time can be re-written!" The Dalek replied.

"Well, sure, but not to this extent." Rixel opened her arms, exposing herself. She hoped the Dalek didn't notice how badly she was shaking. "Come on then. Conqueror of the Requiem. You want to risk that?"

The Dalek didn't answer.

"That's what I thought." Rixel walked over to the Doctor, slowly. She was trying to act confident, but she wasn't. Inside she felt like she was screaming in terror. The Dalek watched her as she moved over towards him, but it didn't stop her. Rixel dropped down beside the Doctor and started to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't." He fell off to the side before she could touch him.

"We need to get you out of here." Rixel said, quietly.

"You shouldn't have come back." He said.

"Oh, and leave you here to die. Yeah, like we'd do that."

"I'll be fine. You need to be home. You shouldn't be here."

"Home where?" Rixel asked. She knew this wasn't the time to argue or get mad at him, but the topic came up.

"Rixel..." He groaned, grabbing his side.

She bit her lip. Fine. She held her hand out to him and stood up. "Come on. I'm getting you out of here."

"You will stay put!" The Dalek said.

"Or what?" Rixel spun around, glaring at the robot. "You'll attack me with that stupid little plunger and change the course of human history? I doubt it."

"The Doctor will be exterminated! As will you!"

"Oh bother!" Rixel rolled her eyes. She hoped it covered up the fear in them. "You're all talk and no action."

"Rixel." The Doctor grumbled. "Don't test them."

"How do you kill a Dalek?" Rixel asked.

"You cannot exterminate us!" The Dalek shrieked

"Doctor!" Rixel looked over her shoulder at him. "Tell me how!"

He didn't answer. She sighed. Fine. She'd just make it up as she went along. She swung around to the Daleks side, making sure that creepy plunger was out of the way. It was just the tiniest bit above her head, but it still worried her. Once she was clear of the plunger, she put her hands on the golden dots on the Dalek. She shuddered from the coldness. Oh, this was not something she could do. If there ever was a time to teleport, it was now.

"Do not touch!" The Dalek yelled. It moved back from her and pulled the plunger in her direction. "You will not touch the Daleks!"

Three things happened at once.

The first, was the Doctor leapt forward, probably trying to push her out of the way.

The second, was a laser fired out of the Dalek, but not from the plunger. It was from a small metal prod down lower that Rixel hadn't seen before.

The third was, right before she fell backwards and hit her head of the floor from being hit, Rixel notice two small marks on the Dalek that hadn't been there before. They were a bright red, almost like hot metal. And they were in the shape of her handprints.

Before she could think about it, her head smashed into the floor and she blacked out.


	31. the master flees

**Dalek Emperor Fleet, 200,100**

When Rixel came to, she was leaning up against a wall. In front of her, she could hear shouting. Her eyes blurred as she tried to focus on what was going on. It was all gold. Blotches and blotches of gold.

"I cannot die!" Rixel heard one of the Daleks say.

She felt something grab her arm, but she was too tired to help herself up. Instead, she just groaned.

Rose bent down beside her and whispered in her ear. "We need you to get inside the Tardis. Now!"

Rixel rolled her head off to the side to try and look at Rose. Everything hurt. Her head. Her body was sore. And her stomach. Oh, it burned. Such intense pain. Just thinking of standing up hurt her. She rolled her head back and forth.

"I know it's bad, but we have to move." Rose whispered again.

"You will all be exterminated!" A Dalek yelled out.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!" The Doctor's voice.

"Rixel. We don't have time. Forgive me." Rose said.

Rixel yelled out in pain as Rose picked her up. The movement of her stomach sent pain shooting throughout her whole body. This wasn't the pain caused by the locket. It was far, far worse.

"Exterminate!"

"Come on!" The Doctor's voice again, close.

Rixel watched as the golden blobs around her faded to dark blue, then bright gold again. But this gold was different. It felt warm and inviting. It felt like home.

"Quick! Get her over there!" The Doctor yelled.

"She's bleeding really bad, Doctor!" Rose shouted. Her voice rumbled in her chest. Rixel could hear her heart beating.

"I know! Over there!"

Rixel could heard the Tardis humming in the background. It was moving. But there was something else, too. She felt that golden warmth. It was the same as it always was, but this time she knew it was suppose to be different. This time, she knew it was inviting her to hang on. To be strong. Not an easy task when her entire body was vibrating in pain.

She blinked a few times, and rolled her head off to the side. Among the blurs and bursts of light, she could see the Doctor moving about the control panel. The leather doctor. He was the first one she ever met. He liked to grin. She liked that.

"Here." The Doctor threw something at her, but before it hit her, Rose caught it. "Setting 5593. Be careful, though! Not too much!"

Rixel heard the hum of the sonic screwdriver. She closed her eyes. That thing could cure anything. She knew it, no matter what he said. "Before he had freckles and now he doesn't."

"What?" Rose leaned forward.

Rixel hadn't meant to say that last part out loud, but she was too exhausted to explain. Or to care. Everything hurt. She groaned.

"I know. It's okay. Relax. The Doctor's here. Everything is fine."

"Everything is not fine!" The Doctor yelled back. "Why did you come back? I told you it was too dangerous!"

"Shut up!" Rose snapped. "And don't you ever dare think of abandoning us again, got it?"

For some reason, the Doctor didn't argue back. Or maybe he did and Rixel just didn't hear. All she heard was the hum of the Tardis. She liked that sound. Her head swelled and the pain increased. She started to wonder if she was going to die. She never believed the Doctor anyway, about her being the conqueror of the requiem or whatever, but she hadn't expected to die. Not so soon. River said she was 16. She had to turn 16 first.

"Don't tell him before the Pandorica."

* * *

Rixel opened her eyes. She was no longer in the Tardis. A white ceiling with florescent lights was on above her. She tried to sit up, but yelled out in pain. Her body ached far more than the usual jump ever did to her. She glanced down at her stomach. On her side, her shirt was covered in blood. She felt sick.

"Rixel!" River's voice came rushing over. She felt the curly haired woman touch her before she actually saw her. The touch sent pain throughout her body.

"Don't!" Rixel yelled, hoping River would pull away. She did.

"What happened?" River leaned back and looked over her. "Are you alright?"

"Dalek." Rixel managed to get out. She leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. It was the ceiling like the lab. Her eyes drifted down and she realized where she was. In the Master's lab. "Dr. Harold?"

River shook her head. "I haven't seen anyone. When I noticed you were gone, I came straight here and found you like this." She shook her head again. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." Rixel took in a deep breath. As her rib cage expanded, more pain exploded. "I told you. Daleks."

"You jumped?" River asked.

Rixel nodded ever so slightly. "Where's Dr. Harold?"

"I don't know." River looked around the room. "There's no one here. Rixel, honey, we need to get you to the hospital."

"Doctor!" Rixel called out. She grabbed her side as the pain pulsed through her.

River put her hand on Rixel's cheek. "Rixel-"

"Oh! There you are!"

Rixel forced her eyes open, blinking several times. That was Dr. Harold's voice. Of that she was sure. But, he sounded...different.

"So sorry to run, but you see, I've places to be!" Dr. Harold continued.

River sat up and looked about the room, but she didn't see anyone. "Whose there?"

"Oh, and this must be the lovely River you were telling me about. Don't worry, River, I'll be sure to give the Doctor your regards."

"Who are you?" River demanded. She stood up, spinning in a circle. "Show yourself."

"No time! No time!" Dr. Harold's laugh echoed through the room. "But thanks for the Vortex Manipulator. And Rixel, dear, I know how much you just loved spending time with River here, so how about a parting gift? I'll make sure the Doctor isn't around again in time to pick you up."

"Wait!" Rixel groaned.

"Show yourself you coward!" River yelled.

"Bye-bye now, Phoenix!"

"Show yourself!"

"Master, wait!" Rixel coughed. The world was still blurred. If anything, the pain was getting worse.

"He has my vortex manipulator?" River looked down at Rixel.

The red-headed girl wanted to answer. She wanted to explain. This wasn't right. That's not how the Master was. Not her Master. He was sweet and kind and thoughtful. Whoever that was...they sounded mean and selfish. She didn't have the energy to explain.

She wasn't really sure what happened next. River carried her somewhere. Somewhere with very bright lights on the ceiling. There was lots of talk and mumbling going on around her, but her ears never seemed to pick up on anything. She thought she heard "Doctor" mentioned a few times. Oh boy. He was going to be so mad at her. River, too. Yeah, she was in some serious trouble now.


	32. give it back

**Tardis**

Something cool spread out across her forehead. Rixel opened her eyes, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. It wasn't very bright, but still enough to take a moment. When her vision focused, she saw Martha standing above her. Rixel smiled.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Martha grinned.

Rixel nodded lightly. The pain was still there. Oh bother, was it really still there. But it was manageable. Kinda. She doubted she could sit up on her own, but it was still better. "Where are we?" Her voice sounded scratchy and distant.

"On the Tardis." Martha said. She pulled the wet cloth off Rixel's forehead.

"How?"

"That, I'm not sure." Martha said, placing the cloth off to the side. "The Doctor had this packet some girl gave us almost a year ago. He made a video and then the Tardis came to us."

"What?"

Martha shook her head. "I'm perfectly healthy and I have no idea how it happened. Don't think about it too hard. Save your energy."

Rixel groaned softly. The soft golden warmth was around her. She could feel it. Oh, how she had missed the Tardis. "How bad am I?"

"Not bad at all." Martha said, but there was a slight pause. "There's scaring on your abdomen, but everything else looks great."

Rixel noticed her hesitation. "And?"

"Well," Martha sighed. "It's a bit like before. You're healing way too fast. There's a scar, which is different than before, but still. It's not normal."

"You travel with the Doctor and the abnormal bothers you?"

Martha laughed. "I guess you're right."

Rixel smiled. She had missed Matha, too. She was glad they'd figured out how to get back to the Tardis. Part of her was curious to know what happened, but Martha was right. It wasn't something she could spare the energy on at the moment. "What about the Doctor? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Martha glanced over at her. "But he did want to talk to you. I don't know. Ever since Pennsylvania he's been really worried."

"Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah." Martha said, as if Rixel understood what she meant.

"Um, hasn't-"

"Oh!" Martha gasped and covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry! I forgot you were much older then!"

"Older?"

Martha shook her head. "No. Please, forget I said anything."

Rixel frowned. "Like that's possible."

Martha turned and headed to the door, shaking her head. "I'm going to go grab the Doctor."

"Wait, Martha?"

The woman stopped and looked over her shoulder at the little red-head child. "Yeah?"

"Just curious." Rixel licked her lips. "Do you know anyone named River?"

Martha's jaw shifted in thought. "Nope. Doesn't sound familiar. Why?"

Rixel shook her head. "Nothing. Go get him them."

Martha nodded and left.

* * *

"You can't stay here."

Rixel just sat there and stared at the Doctor in silence for at least five minutes. It felt like an eternity. His words echoed over and over in her mind. She wanted to scream at him. Everything, all of this, was his fault to begin with. He was the one that took her away. It was his idea for her to go with him. No. He stole her when she didn't have a choice. He didn't get to just chuck her out when he felt like it.

"Why?" She finally managed to whisper. Her voice cracked and she could feel the tears coming all the way from her chest.

He shook his head slowly. "It's not safe."

"Says who?"

"Rixel, you're only nine. You cant-It's just not safe."

She took in a deep breath. "That's not your decision."

He sighed, looking down at the floor away from her. He sat in the chair next to her bed, his shoulders slouched over. "Rixel, I-"

"No." She interrupted him. "I might only be 9, but you know me. I'm smart enough to manage. One stupid Dalek attack doesn't mean I'm in danger everywhere."

"It's not just that."

"I don't care!" Rixel snapped back. "I'm staying! That's final!"

The Doctor sighed again. His eyes searched the floor, avoiding her. His fingers twitched lightly. After a moment, he leaned back in the chair, still looking away. "Why do you keep disappearing?"

"What?" Rixel blinked. That wasn't the question she expected.

"Sometimes you just show up. No reason. Then sometimes you vanish into thin air. I never know when you'll be here or how long you'll stay."

Something tugged at the back of Rixel's mind. It was what Rose said in her dream. Something she couldn't tell him yet, for some reason.

_"That you're always with him."_

That was a strange thing to think, but the more she processed it, the more it was true. To him, she kept leaving. But to her, she always was with him. Ok, so once she ended up with River, but she started off with him. She really was always with him. So why couldn't she tell him?

"So how do you keep doing it?" His voice broke her from her thoughts.

She shrugged. After a moment, she pulled the locket out from under her shift and took it off. "It has something to do with this."

He glanced up and the moment he saw the locket her froze. His eyes were fixed on the thing as she dangled it in the air between them. It wasn't until she lowered it down into his hands that he seemed to break free from whatever was causing him to lock up. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

"It's my mothers locket." Rixel explained.

He nodded, pulling the locket up to his eyes.

"I'm not really sure how to explain it." She continued. "You've explained it to me before. Something to do with the nanogenes on our first journey together. And then you told me about Huon energy or something like that, which River says is from the Tardis."

"River?" The Doctor's gazed shifted from the locket to her.

"Yeah." Rixel narrowed her gaze. "You know...curly hair."

He shook his head slowly.

"Oh." She shrugged. "Well, she knows you. Very well."

Again, he looked like he was going to say something, but instead went back to looking at the necklace.

"Anyway," Rixel said. "Huon energy and the nanogenes mixed with the C-14 my mom left in there. I'm not really sure. It's all about that."

He closed his hand around the locket and looked back at her. "This is what causes you to jump?"

She nodded.

"Without it, you can't?"

She shrugged. "My guess is no."

He stood up, holding his clenched hand in front of him.

Something was wrong. Rixel didn't know how else to explain it. She loved the Doctor, he was everything to her, but he was different now. Like he had been before, after the Lazarus experiment. His eyes were dark. He didn't look angry, but his body gave off such a terrifying vibe. And to make matters worse, the golden warmth that always filled her with joy was now mixed with fear. Fear and urgency. Rixel know she needed to do something very soon or things would go horribly wrong.

"Doctor?" Her voice trembled as she spoke his name. She didn't even want to. She wanted to run as far away from him as possible.

He looked down at her. The corners of his mouth were pulled far down, and his eyes soft. No, not angry. He was calm about it all. That only made things worse.

The golden warmth ran through her hands. She had no idea what she was doing, but her hands reached out and grabbed his fist with the locket it in.

Surprised by her action, his hand opened, dropping the locket.

The moment it fell from his hands into hers, she could feel it burning. Tears welled up in her eyes, but at least this time it wasn't because of the pain. The pain was there; the locket only intensified the pain in her stomach. No, now she was scared. Scared of the Doctor.

He reached out towards her, but she pulled the locket close to her chest. She didn't have to. Once it started to burn like that, it wouldn't come off her hand. Still, she was scared.

"Rixel! Give it to me!" His face glowered down at her. "This is the only way."

She scowled, making sure not to take her eyes off him. She wanted the last image he saw of her to show him how angry she was. The tears probably didn't help, but that didn't matter. How dare he think of stealing her locket. How DARE he think of kicking her out.

And just like that, she was back to being furious with the Doctor.


	33. titanic again?

**Tardis**

Rixel found herself in her room. She was no longer in the medical room, but her very own bedroom inside the Tardis. Her bottom lip trembled as she looked around the room.

Why did he say that to her? She trusted him, even after she knew he lied to her! He kidnapped her and she still loved him so. Why would he want to just throw her away? Did she become boring? Did he not like her anymore? It wasn't fair!

The red headed child flopped back onto the bed and cried.

When she finally calmed herself down, Rixel got up. There was still pain, but she could walk. That was a wonderful improvement. She'd been scared she would be been bedridden for weeks. She clutched her locket to her chest as she walked down the hall. At least she'd be able to run away from him if he tried to take it again.

She stumbled as she walked down the hall and grasped her side. Ok, maybe not as healed as she would have liked. Ow. She stumbled again as she came into the control room. It was the coral one. Dang. Not the bow-tie Doctor. She needed him more than ever now.

Rixel made her way down the mesh path to the door. She groaned slightly as the pain from her stomach flared up. Wow. Why did she think walking around was a good idea? Technically, she should be dead. If she had been anyone else in the universe, she probably would be dead. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She opened the door. The Tardis was inside what appeared to be a supply closet of some sorts. She dragged her feet forward, her hand still on her side. Her hand reached out and opened the door in front of her.

A golden wood-paneled room filled with people stood before her. Everyone was dressed so formally. Odd sounding Christmas music filled the air. Rixel flinched as a voice came out of the loudspeaker above her head.

"Attention all passengers. The Titanic is now serving dinner."

Rixel's mouth dropped open. She stumbled backwards, letting the door close in front of her. Then she turned and raced back into the Tardis.

One Titanic was enough for her. She dropped down into the chair in the control room and leaned forward. Oh, she was in far too much pain for this.

The Titanic? Really? What was he thinking? Why couldn't he just let it go!

If she had thought about it for a moment, she might have realized the interior looked nothing like the Titanic she remembered, but that didn't matter to her. All she could think of was the pain and the stupid Titanic. Her vision blurred with the pain.

If he was hell bent on exploring the Titanic again, she was more than happy to sit this one out. In fact, she needed to rest. Oh, yes. Sleep. She needed that. It took her a moment to gather up the strength to stand. Walking out here wore her out much more than she realized. Her entire body shook with exhaustion. Ok, so she could heal fast. But not that fast. Each step towards her bedroom was painful. She kept herself going, promising that when she reached her room she could sleep. Miraculously, her room seemed to be much closer than normal. She didn't know how, maybe she was just hallucinating. It didn't matter.

Rixel collapsed on her bed, and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

She was awoke by a violent jolt. It sounded like an explosion. The Tardis rocked around, but she managed to stay on the bed. As the room finally stopped shaking, Rixel slowly sat up. All that tossing around aggravated her wound, but she looked down to find that externally it was completely healed. Well, that was unexpected.

She slid down off her bed, looking around. Everything was smooth. No movement. That golden warmth was there, so she guessed that was good.

Rixel walked to her bedroom door and peered out into the hall. Everything looked fine and normal. She wondered what that had been. Maybe the Tardis had been hit by an asteroid or something. It was a space ship after all. Oh, except right now it was docked in the Titanic.

Fear shivered over her. If the Titanic just hit the iceberg, the Doctor would have to hurry up and get back here before the Tardis sank to the bottom of the sea!

Now that she thought of it, it didn't make sense. The Doctor warned against time issues with crossing in your own past. Why would he go to the Titanic and risk finding them from the future? Erm, well, why in the future would he risk going back to the Titanic when he went now which was in his past then?

Rixel walked out to the control room. It was empty inside. She ran her hands over the controls lightly, debating her ability to fly it. She decided against it. She couldn't just leave the Doctor, no matter how furious she was at him. Instead, she walked down to the main door. After a short pause, she pulled open the door.

Sunlight came streaming in. Not the Titanic at all. She was somewhere different. Hm. Maybe the Doctor had come in and moved already. She guessed it was possible. He didn't know she was here. She shut the door and walked back up to the controls. The pain in her stomach was there, but walking wasn't that big of a deal. It stung, but she could manage.

There was a metallic clang that came from down the hall.

Rixel paused. She leaned sideways, glancing down the hall. She didn't see anything.

"Doctor?" She called out. There was no reply. Another moment later, she heard another clatter. Hm. She walked over towards the entrance to the hall. Ok, so this was the coral Doctor, which meant it could be Rose, Martha, Mickey or even Jack. Wow, that was a plethora of people to chose from. Instead of calling out a randomly chosen name, she decided to be more generic.

"Whose down there?" She called out.

Again, no reply. The Tardis hummed around her and she could feel the golden warmth intensifying. Rixel let out a sigh. This was the Tardis, dammit! There was nothing to be afraid of! With a deep breath, she headed off down the hall.

Her footsteps seemed far too loud as she walked own the hall. She listened carefully. The metallic clang happened once more, just beside her, and she jumped. She pressed her back to the wall opposite the sound and found herself staring at the wall. No, not just the wall. There was a door there. Almost not there, sort of, but it was there. The door was made of blue wood and looked similar to the entrance to the Tardis, except it didn't have the white notice. Rixel reached out and tentatively touched the wood. Of all the doors in the Tardis she'd seen so far, this one was the strangest. It stood out, but then again, it didn't. Almost as if her eyes didn't want to see it. She pushed and the door swung open.

Rixel stepped into what appeared to be a large study. There were giant maps on the wall and a desk cluttered with papers. The ceiling was a swirling black mess with painted stars. The floor was a soft blue carpet that she felt gave her a small bounce in her step. In the corner were a bunch of globes, though as she got closer she realized they were all different planets. The maps in the wall were star maps, guides to the universe. Underneath them was a giant time-line that raced around the entire perimeter of the room.

"Wow." Rixel breathed. She couldn't even decide what to look at first. Every time she started to look at one thing, another caught her eye. Maps of an alien world. Stacks of books with stories she'd never heard of. A strange computer like screen on the desk that seemed to be flashing a bunch of circular shapes. A telescope that, when looked into, showed a bunch of cities. Historical documents, including the ...no...that couldn't be the REAL declaration of independence... oh! What was this cute little box thing? She picked it up, a blue crystallized box that shimmered in the light as it moved. As her hands touched it, she swore she could hear something. It was faint, like people talking. She looked around the room. No one was there. It was almost s if the sound was coming from the box. She turned it over, but there wasn't a latch. No way to open. She brought the box up to her ear and listened, but the sound was just as faint as ever. As if a crowd of people were talking very far away.

Rixel placed the small box in her pocket. Something about it just seemed too...amazing to let go. She'd ask the Doctor about it later. She and walked over to a globe. She didn't recognize any of the names as she spun the globe around. Unlike Earth, this planet was almost like a rust color. She'd think it was mars, but there were muddy brown lakes scattered over it. The river Lethe. Mount Plutarch. Soonwell Valley. Nope. Nothing sounded familiar.

There was another noise that came from out in the hall. Rixel paused, lifting her head to watch the door. It sounded like someone was in the Tardsi now. Maybe it was the Doctor.

She walked out, slowly making her way to the control room. Despite her wondering, she found her way with ease. Perhaps she was just getting so used to the Tardis now.

She peered around the corner to find the Doctor standing at the controls. The huggable Doctor. Anger flared back up inside her as she thought of the last words he said to her. She cleared her throat.

He turned to look, puzzled at first. When he saw her, his face broke out into a giant smile. "Rixel!" He ran over to her and picked her up, spinning her around in a circle.

She flinched lightly as he picked her up, but ignored the pain. This was so different than the last time she talked to him she couldn't help but grin back at him. He was happy to see her. Really happy. That was too pleasant of a change for her to be upset. She wondered when this was for him.

"Hi." She replied as he put her back down on the floor. Her side hurt a bit, but she didn't dare make any notion of it. No way was she going to let him think she was still hurt. He might think it's not safe again.

"Are you okay? You look okay. Are you sure you're okay?"

Rixel nodded, still pretending it didn't hurt. And it really didn't even hurt that much. She smiled. "I'm fine. Everything is great!"

He grinned back. "How long have you been here?"

That's when she remember the Titanic. She put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "The Titanic! What were you thinking!"

He blinked. "It's not my fault! It crashed into me!"

Rixel rolled her eyes. "It just happened to crash into you?"

"Yeah!" He replied.

Rixel laughed. "After the last time, I hate the Titanic. But where are we now? I saw sunlight. You obviously moved while I was asleep."

He looked at her, confused for a moment. Then he shook his head. "We're in the time vortex. Tardis is going where she pleases at the moment."

"Ah." Rixel replied.

"Why, is there somewhere you want to go?" His eyes lit up and he dashed over to the controls. "Anura? Raxacoricofallapatorius? The Forest moon of Endor? Not that last one, that's not real."

Rixel shook her head. "What about...Mount Plurtarch?" She asked, remembering the globe from that office room.

He froze, his back to her. She watched as he just stood there, not even bothering to look at her. She bit her lip. Maybe she wasn't suppose to go in that room? Or maybe that place was just really really dangerous? Oh, she hoped it wasn't the dangerous one. She didn't want him to think she wasn't safe.

After what seemed like forever, he finally turned and looked at her. "Where did you hear that?"

Rixel frowned. Yup. Not suppose to go in that room. Busted. "Oh, um. Sorry. I just, I got bored, so I was wondering and I found a globe with it on it. That's all."

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "That's on Gallifrey."

"Oh." Rixel said. "Then let's go there?"

His hand dropped down to his side. "Rixel, Gallifrey is gone."

"It is?"

He nodded silently.

She thought about this for a moment. That must be hard. She knew she'd be very sad if Earth was destroyed. She walked over to him and linked her fingers in his. He lifted his head and smiled weakly at her.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked again.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, Doctor. I'm fine. You really don't need to worry!"

He paused. "Alright." He pushed off from the control panel and walked towards the door. "You coming?"

"Yup!" Rixel chased after him. "Where are we?"

They stepped out of the Tardis to find a street filled with town homes. Rixel looked around. It looked very Earth-like. "Where are we?"

The Doctor smiled. "Martha's house."

"Oh!" Rixel's face lit up.

They walked up the path to one of the homes. The Doctor leaned over her and pressed the doorbell. His other hand was on her shoulder. Rixel noticed he wasn't letting go of her. Almost like he was hanging on to make sure she wouldn't disappear or something.

Martha opened the door with a big smile. "Rixel!"

"Martha!" Rixel grinned back. She hugged the woman. "How are you?"

"Me, oh, I'm fine." Martha said, glancing up at the Doctor for the briefest of seconds. "What about you? Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Rixel frowned slightly. "Why is everyone so concerned?"

The Doctor knelt down beside her, his hands on her shoulders. "We've been worried about you."

"I'm fine." She stated again.

"I know. Right now, you are."

"Doctor-"

"I'm sorry." He interrupted her. "I'm so sorry."

As the Doctor rose to his feet, Rixel felt Martha come up behind her and put her hands on her shoulders. She didn't think anything of it until the Doctor nodded at Martha. Then Rixel tried to move towards him, but Martha kept her in place. She tried again, but the woman was strong.

"Keep her safe." The Doctor said.

"With my life." Martha replied.

Rixel growled. "What are you doing?"

The Doctor ignored her and turned back towards the Tardis. She struggled as hard as she could as he opened the door and went inside. Only when the door closed behind him did Martha let go of Rixel. The little red-headed girl raced towards the Tardis and slammed into the door. She pounded, pulled and kicked at the door as the Tardis started to whir.

"Don't you dare!" She screamed, pounding her fists on the door. "Doctor! Don't you dare leave me!"

The Tardis vanished from in front of her, leaving her standing in the middle of an empty street.

"Rixel?" Martha called out.

She turned to glare at the woman. Martha knew about this. She knew that he was going to abandon her. With a growl, Rixel turned and started to run.


	34. five years later

**Rattigan Academy, 2009**

She was sitting in the biggest office she'd ever seen. In addition to being the biggest, it was also the strangest. Normally there were wood paneled walls and oak desks. Sometimes a picture of a fishing trip or the beach, but mostly just simple décor that didn't mean much. This was not like that at all. A giant screen behind the glass top desk showed something that looked almost like a video game. Rixel straightened her skirt.

Luke Rattigan stood behind the desk opposite her, bouncing a ball up against the wall to their side. He'd been doing that since Rixel had been brought in by his secretary. She hadn't expected him to look so...young. She knew he was technically only a few years older than her, but it still didn't prepare her.

"So, you're Rixel Jones, yeah?" Luke finally spoke up.

Rixel nodded. She hated changing her last name, but Kirii was too easy to find. Her parent were still in school at this time in history, but they were geniuses all the same. She couldn't risk being associated with them. Especially when she looked enough like her mother to raise questions. "Yes, sir."

"Luke, please." He said, tossing the ball against the wall. His simple statement was the first suggestion that he wasn't completely bored with her.

She nodded.

He caught his ball and turned towards his desk. His eyes glanced over the monitor, then up to her. "And how long have you been here?"

"16 months, sir-erm, Luke."

"Ah." He nodded, then looked back down at the screen. "Transfered from Putney High School. Says you're only 14 years old."

"Yes." Rixel replied.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And you developed the serum all by yourself?"

She bit her lip. In her defense, she'd been so careful over the past 5 years. So incredibly careful. It was hard, especially for someone as smart as her, to put up with a stupid high school system where they wouldn't even let the kids mix chemicals together. So, yeah, when she was placed in Rattigan, she allowed herself to slip. Just a little, but it was enough to get noticed. Crap. "I was basing it on several other students work."

"Bullshit."

"Sorry?" Rixel blinked.

He slammed his hands down on the desk. "This is my school. I know everything going on here. Everyone here is hand picked by me to come here. They're smart, but not that smart. You think I'm dumb enough to believe I wouldn't have noticed if it resembled anything close to what the others were working on?"

"Well, no, I just-"

"Don't." He put his hand up in the air, stopping her. "This is a place to be yourself. You don't have to hide here."

She shifted uneasily as he walked around the desk and stopped just in front of her. He was attractive and very smart. And now he was very close.

"The outside world, they're morons." He said, leaning forward. "This is your sanctuary. I don't want you to worry about being smart here. Because you are smart. You're a genius."

Rixel couldn't help but swallow. She hoped her cheeks weren't red, but they felt like they were. "Okay."

He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "You remind me of myself."

She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

"You know!" He flicked his finger up in the air. "I might just have a special project for you, Rixel Jones. Would you like that?"

She nodded, almost a little too eagerly.

He smiled at her. "Good. I thought you might."

* * *

Five years. That's how long she'd been stuck here. Rixel sighed as she threw her back onto her bed. For five years she hated everything about Earth – until today.

Luke Rattigan had called her 16 months ago and arranged a special interview. She hadn't interviewed with him personally, but she spoke to him on the phone several times. He sent her several problems and scientific equations in an attempt to test her. All of it was easy. Almost ridiculously so. A week later, she was asked to attend Rattigan Academy with a full scholarship.

It couldn't have come soon enough. Putney High was so boring. Everyone was slow and asked a million stupid questions. She wouldn't even have gone there if Martha hadn't forced her to.

Rixel felt a twinge of guilt as the thought of Martha. When she transferred to Rattigan, she didn't even tell her. She just left. Even after all these years, she hated the woman for holding her back while he left.

Rixel rolled over and closed her eyes. No. She wouldn't think about him. She hated him. Instead, she'd think about Luke Rattigan. She smiled to herself. He called her a genius. Luke Rattigan said she was a genius! And he had a special project just for her! They'd be spending so much time together now. Just her and him. Alone in the lab. It was almost too unbelievable!

The door flew open, revealing a short curly hair girl with giant green eyes. "What did he say!"

Rixel smiled from her pillow at her roommate. "You might want to sit down, Jess."

The girl rushed over to the desk chair next to Rixel. Her legs bounced in place. Though Jessica was two years older than Rixel, she acted like a child. A smart child, but a child none the less.

Rixel sat up and grinned. "He asked me to help him with a special project."

Jessica squealed, bouncing her legs on the floor. "No way! What is it?"

"I can't tell you! It's a secret!" Rixel couldn't stop smiling. "But we are going to be spending time alone."

"Really!" Jessica spun around in the chair, her head back. "Oh, I'm so jealous!"

Rixel nodded eagerly. "And he said my work on the Exhaust Serum was genius!"

Jessica stopped spinning the chair and stared at Rixel. "He used that word? He actually called you a genius?"

Rixel's head bobbed up and down again.

"No way!" Jessica squealed again. She reached forward and grabbed Rixel's hand. "Come on! We need to go celebrate!"

* * *

The two girls found themselves standing out in the cold as they walked down towards the fish and chips place they loved so much. They were just outside London, but the crowds were sill there. Rixel thought about how strange it was to be surrounded by people. Not aliens, people. It had been like that since she had been left here on Earth, but it was still amazing. Her whole life she'd been around a small group of people and that was it. Even back with her parents, she never knew anyone else. And never before did she have friends her own age. In fact, at Putney, she revolted against her classmates. Still angry at Martha and him, she lashed out at everyone at school. It wasn't until she went to Rattigan and Jessica forced her to be friends. At first she hated the girl, telling her to leave her alone. Eventually Rixel realized the brunette wouldn't take no for an answer. Ever since then, they'd been close friends. They talked about everything. Science, math, books they've read, movie's they'd seen (Jessica couldn't believe how much Rixel had seen!) and most importantly, Luke Rattigan. The most amazing man in both their lives.

Rixel never talked about home. She told Jessica that she grew up with her cousin after her parents died, but that was it. Jessica always told her to invite her cousin for family night at the Academy every month, but Rixel would only say Martha was too busy. Truthfully, she just didn't want to see her again.

Jessica pointed across the street to a music store. A bright purple and pink neon display flashed out at them. "Want to run over there?"

Rixel shrugged. Music wasn't her favorite. She never cared for it. "I might go to book store."

Jessica rolled her head. "Rix, we're suppose to be celebrating!"

"And I want a new book!" Rixel grinned. "Want to polish up on my French for Luke."

Jessica giggled. "Alright, fine." The two girls walked up the street to the giant two-story bookstore.

Inside was nice and warm. It smelled like books and coffee. Jessica headed off to the physics section while Rixel wondered over to foreign languages. She realized she still couldn't stop smiling. Starting tomorrow, she'd be spending time alone with Luke Rattigan! Her fingers traced over the books until she found the advanced french ones. She picked up one in the middle and flipped it open to a random page.

"Look at you, all grown up."

Rixel jumped, dropping the cook to the floor. She spun around, looking towards the voice.

There, leaning up against the end of the row with her arms crossed, stood Martha Jones.

Rixel's face flushed red. "M-Martha!"

"You're a hard one to track down, you know." She said.

"I-I...how did you?"

Martha pulled out a small ID badge. "Work privileges. After you went missing, we started to run a search for you. Lucky for me, you kept your same first name."

Damn. She'd though about changing it. That was stupid.

"Mind telling me why you haven't at least called in the past year and a half?"

Rixel felt her heart sink. Not only was she caught, but she realized that she had ruined her only real connection on Earth. Martha was the only person on the entire planet that knew the truth about her. "I...I'm sorry." She dropped her head.

Martha walked over and gave her a big hug. "Just tell me what happened!"

Rixel pushed her away. As much as she wanted to hug Martha back, her smell reminded her too much of him. "I'm at Rattigan Academy."

"I know." Martha frowned. "That place is no good. There's something bad going on there."

"No there isn't!" Rixel snapped back. "It's the best thing that's happened to me since I got left on this stupid planet!"

Martha glanced around nervously as Rixel's voice started to raise.

"And further more, you sent me to a stupid high school! You know what they wanted me to do there! Beginning biology! They actually gave me a test on the parts of a cell!"

Martha tried to hush her, but Rixel pushed back again.

"No!" Rixel growled. She knew she was making a scene, but Martha had made the choice to confront her in public. "You knew he was going to leave me and you let him! Then you sent me off!"

"You were nine!" Martha hissed back. "You belonged in school!"

"Learning the parts of a cell?" Rixel shouted back.

By now, a few people were leaning around to glance at the two arguing. Martha grabbed Rixel's arm and pulled her down another aisle, away from wondering eyes. "Look, I did what I had to. You want to be mad at me, fine. But not calling me and making think something had happened to you for 16 months? Not cool, Rixel."

Rixel snorted and folded her arms across her chest.

Martha sighed and relaxed her grip on Rixel. "I just was worried."

Rixel looked over at her. Martha's face was soft and her eyes looked almost sad. She wanted to be mad at her, but...Rixel sighed and gave Martha a hug.

Martha jumped at first, then hugged her back. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Rixel replied, knowing it was true.

After a while, Martha stepped back and looked over Rixel. "I can't believe how much you've grown!"

Rixel gave her a half smiled. "Aging does that to people."

"And...no jumping?"

Rixel pulled the locket out from under her shirt. "Guess it's dead without the Tardis."

Martha frowned, but nodded. "And you're safe?"

Rixel rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm safe. Better than safe. I'm great."

Martha relaxed. "Good."

The two girls stared at each other for a moment. Rixel realized just how much she'd really missed Martha. Though she believed her reasons for leaving were justified, she started to wonder if they were right. "Hows... work?"

Martha smiled. "I'm a field agent now. Proper doctor and everything."

"Yeah?" Rixel asked.

Martha nodded, but then her face grew serious. "Seriously, though, Rix. Something's going on at that school."

Rixel took in a deep breath to make sure she wouldn't get upset again. "Martha, it's just a school."

"I know, but there's something with the ATMOS and-"

"Rixel?"

The two girls turned to see Jessica standing a few feet away with an awkward smile.

"Jess!" Rixel looked between her and Martha. "Oh! Guess who I bumped into? It's my cousin, remember?"

"Martha?" Jessica asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Pleased to meet you." Martha extended her hand out.

Jessica shook it wearily. "You never come up for the family nights."

Martha shot Rixel a look. "Oh, well, you know. I'm very busy."

Jessica shrugged and looked over at Rixel. "You still wanna grab something to eat?"

Rixel nodded. She turned to walk away and felt something slip into her coat pocket. Martha winked and walked off. The red headed girl placed her hand in her pocket and found a cell phone. She looked back at her roommate and smiled. "So! Where to?"


	35. ATMOS

**Rattigan Academy, 2009**

Rixel and Luke stood side by side in the laboratory, alone. For the past hour he had shown her his current project, explaining it's purpose. She felt so honored to be working with him she could hardly pay attention.

"Did you notice what Jess and Bobby were working on?" Luke asked her.

Rixel nodded. "Terra-forming planets."

"And do you think it's possible?" He glanced over at her with curious eyes.

"Well." She paused. She hadn't been involved in the project, she only knew what Jess told her. Still, it didn't seem to add up.

"What?"

"It's possible, but they don't have any carbon dioxide."

Luke laughed and clapped his hands. "Exactly! Oh, I knew you were smart! Come here."

Rixel followed as he lead her over towards a wall. She was so excited that she said the right thing she almost didn't notice him grab a remote from behind a painting on the wall. Almost. And when he pushed a button on the remote and the wall in front of them began to turn, well, her attention was caught.

"Wow!" She gasped.

He glanced over his shoulder at her with a grin. "You haven't seen anything yet."

They walked down the sleek metal steps that lit up as they stepped on them. The stairs winded down until they came into a large open laboratory like the one above them but... bigger. MUCH bigger. A large black box sat in the middle of the room. It was gigantic, spanning all the way up to the high ceiling and a good 50 feet or so wide. Rixel recognized it at once, having only seen them in pictures from her parents lab. "Is that..."

"An antimatter chamber." Luke put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Only one in the world. I'm surprised you recognized it."

Rixel walked towards it, making sure to keep her distance. This was amazing, but it was wrong. It was all wrong. This sort of thing shouldn't exist for several more years. If he really did make one, it had to be incredibly unstable.

"But...how?"

Luke waved his hand in the air. "That's not important. I wanted to show you this." He walked over towards one of the tables where a small silver curved box lay. "Recognize it?"

Rixel joined him and shook her head. She'd never seen one before.

"It's an ATMOS."

"Oh." That explains it. She'd never had a car.

"But there's more to it than that." He was grinning wildly. "Remember how you said the Terra-forming wouldn't work without carbon dioxide?"

Rixel nodded slowly.

He held up the device. "This thing has enough carbon dioxide in it to cover a whole 1% of a planet the size of Earth."

Rixel blinked. That number was incredibly impressive. "Really?"

"Well, it's a pure form. Given that the atmosphere needs only about .04%, it wasn't that hard."

She nodded. That made sense. "But why is it in an ATMOS?"

He grinned at her and placed the object down on the table. "The ATMOS is a GPS, right?"

"Yes." Rixel replied. "I know what they are, I just don't have a car."

"The GPS was a by-product to guide the ATMOS to where it needed to be. Turned out that's what Earth wanted, so these things exploded in almost every car in the world."

Rixel hesitated. "So, each of these carries enough carbon dioxide in it to cover 1% of the planet?"

He nodded. "Filters it out of the Earth air and stores it. Wonderful side-effect."

"Isn't that...dangerous?"

"Oh, come on." He smiled at her and she realized how close they were to each other. "You think people out there driving those cars care about polluting the air with a little carbon dioxide?"

"One percent is quite a bit." She said quietly.

All the thoughts left her mind as he reached forward and took her hands in his. Slowly, she looked up at him. He had amazingly deep dark eyes, and for the first time she noticed just how insane he looked. Not a lot, not like the Doctor (and how she hated the fact that she compared him to him), but it was there. An exciting bit of madness encased in a gorgeous genius.

"Rixel." His voice was low but clear. "It's all going to be fine. I promise."

* * *

The week passed by in a blur. Rixel spent all of her days down in the hidden lab with Luke, working on ATMOS. He kept promising her that it was safe, and she believed him while she was there. But at night, when she lay awake in her bed staring at the ceiling, she couldn't help but feel it was wrong. Something didn't add up.

Jessica was snoring across the room from her. Rixel felt bad she never got to see her friend, but in all honesty, she would rather spend the time with Luke. He was amazing. A pure genius, and he had nothing but the highest respects for her.

She rolled out of bed and grabbed a sweater. No way was she sleeping tonight. Too much to do. She wandered out of her room and down to the main lab.

The thing was, she liked Luke. Well, maybe even more than that. She respected him and trusted him and wanted to prove herself. But, well, some things she'd learned the hard way not to trust anyone with. When she was sure the lab was empty, Rixel pulled out her mother's locket from under her shirt.

During the three years that never existed, she worked to discover a cure for the Sunstar virus. Three nights ago, she realized that now was the time to really work on it. She had the lab, the materials and the time. No requiem here. Rixel popped open the locket to reveal her small hidden circular plastic plate. She pulled the plate out and set it down on a slide and pushed it under a microscope. She leaned over, letting her red hair curtain the sides of her face as she glanced down the lens.

Her progress was almost non-existent her first night. But the nights after that were wonderful. The C-14 now no longer looked the same at all. Those three years had given her the knowledge she needed. And yeah, possibly the 5 years of schooling she just had helped as well. She was pretty sure it was good now, but the only problem was she had no way to test it out. The only way to do that would be to give someone the virus then see if the cure worked. She couldn't risk doing that.

She pulled out her notebook and stared at the words scribbled inside. She'd managed to get much of her information from her previous work, which helped. It helped immensely, really. At the bottom of the third page, she'd written down the compound for the Sunstar. An impossible compound that existed anyway, all based around the new element from her parents time, Eletinium. She scratched her head. It was almost like it made sense, but she was missing something. This tiny little key missing element that she couldn't figure out. Eletinium, Nitrogen, Iodine and Xenon. This had to be right. She just needed to test it. But how? She'd test it on herself in an instant, but with her stupid healing she doubted the virus would take.

Rixel hated being sneaky. She really did. It made her feel all sick inside. She pulled the phone Martha had left her out of her pocket and sent the woman a quick text. Oh, she was going to regret this.

* * *

"Oh, Rixel!" Martha hugged the red-headed girl tightly. "I thought you'd never call!"

"Yeah." Rixel laughed nervously. "I just missed you was all."

"At 4 in the morning?" Martha laughed.

Rixel shrugged. "Lonely nights, I guess."

Martha smiled. "Doesn't matter. You're here. I'm happy. How's school?"

Rixel looked about the room. Martha's place was very clean. She doubted a speck of dust lived anywhere in the whole flat. How she did that with the busy life of a doctor, Rixel would never know. It was still dark out, but probably not for long. Martha had been awake when she got Rixel's text and rushed over to pick her up. The two settled back at her place to talk. "School's good. Challenging. I like it."

"Good, good." Martha nodded. "Can I get you some tea? I know it's a bit late for that but-"

"No thanks." Rixel replied.

"What are you studying?"

Rixel paused. "Martha, can I ask a strange question?"

"Yeah, sure. Shoot."

Rixel leaned forward and pulled her locket out. Her fingers fiddled nervously with it as she spoke. "Remember, um, a while ago. The Lazarus experiment?"

Martha rolled her eyes. "Do I ever!"

"Yeah." Rixel's eye flickered down to the floor. "Um, remember how your sister was there? Had red freckles on her face?"

"Oh yeah!" Martha lit up. "You know, I remember you mentioned it later and I looked into it. Strange, too. She still has these freckles, but when I look in photos of us before the Lazarus thing, she didn't have them. How weird is that?"

"So she still has them?" Rixel didn't want to get her hopes up. Not yet.

"Yeah, far as I know." Martha said. "Had them last week."

Rixel let out a long breath. "Martha. I need to see her."


	36. Guinea pig Tish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a chemist by any means. Excuse any and all illogicalness.

**London, 2009**

When the sun finally rose, the two girls drove down to Martha's sister's place. Martha felt a bit bad about barging into Tish's place so early in the morning, but Rixel insisted. She just kept telling her it was important.

Martha went inside to wake her sister up while Rixel waited outside the front door. She fiddled with her locket nervously. What if it didn't work? What if it made things worse? What if she killed Tish? Or...or...well, what if it did work? Then what? The Sunstar virus wouldn't even happen for 33 years! She'd be 47 years old by then! Bleg. She didn't want to run around saving the world at 47. Nor did she trust herself not to get into time trouble by then. Just knowing where her parents were at this very moment drove her insane. She didn't know how much longer she could resist the temptation to run off and see them.

"All good." Martha poked her head out.

Rixel walked into the small town home. It was nothing like Martha's place. In here, it was messy and cluttered. Martha led Rixel into the kitchen.

"She's getting dressed." Martha said, putting a kettle on the stove. "Just give her a minute."

Rixel nodded and sat down at a stool by the counter.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Martha asked.

Rixel nodded. "When she gets down here. I'll explain it all."

A few moments later, Tish came thumping down the stairs. She didn't look too happy. She dragged herself over towards the stool next to Rixel and flopped down, resting her head on the counter.

"Morning Tish!" Martha sang.

Tish just grumbled.

"Hi." Rixel said.

"You better have a good reason for wakin' me up at the crack of dawn." Tish muttered.

Well, no time like the present to just dive right in. Rixel cleared her throat. "Tish, I noticed that you have red freckles."

"What? These nasty things? Yeah. Takes almost a quarter bottle of makeup to hide them every day! Stupid things."

Rixel could feel her whole body shaking nervously. "I...I think I know how to get rid of them."

Tish bolted upright. "You do?"

Rixel nodded. She pulled out the small capped needle from her pocket. Her hands trembled as she put it down on the counter between them.

Tish reached out for it, but Martha grabbed it first.

"What's this?" Martha asked.

Rixel took in a deep breath. "The freckles were caused by a chemical compound I've been carrying around. It's a small strain of virus. This is the cure."

"Give it, Martha!" Tish snapped.

Martha still held on to it. "Why do you have a virus strain with you?"

"It was in my mother's locket. I...I didn't know." Rixel replied.

Martha glanced down at the locket around Rixel's neck. "It's still in there?"

Rixel shook her head. "I encased it. It's safe. No one will catch it again. Well, not for a few decades."

Martha raised an eyebrow.

"Martha!" Tish yelled.

"And you figured out the cure?" Martha asked. "For a virus?"

Rixel nodded. "Wasn't easy, but yeah."

Martha didn't look convinced. "How?"

She'd expected this. Rixel pulled out her notebook and slid it over to Martha. The woman opened up and flipped through the paged until she came upon the compound written on the bottom of a page. Her eyes widened. "What's Eletinium?"

"It's an element. Hasn't been discovered yet."

"An element. From the future?"

Rixel nodded.

"And you expect me to trust you to inject my sister with this? Rixel, you're 14."

Rixel rolled her eyes. "Martha! You've seen amazing things! You've seen how fast I can heal, even! Why can't you just trust me on this?"

"You're just a kid!"

Rixel slammed her hand down on the counter. "You never listen! You always think that just because I'm young I can't do anything!"

Martha took half a step back, surprised by her outburst. "As a teenager, you think you know everything, but you don't."

"I never said I knew everything." Rixel replied, trying to calm herself down. "I just happen to know about the compound my parents were working on that I studied for 3 years in an underground laboratory."

"What?"

Rixel shook her head. "Just, trust me, okay? You know very well that if it hurts her you can just use some of my cells to heal her back."

Martha stared at her for a moment, holding the needle. She didn't look convinced. After a moment though, with her eyes still fixed on Rixel, she held the needle out to Tish.

Tish grabbed it.

"You better be right." Martha sighed.

Tish stared back as Rixel and Marta looked over her. "I'm okay, guys."

Rixel relaxed a bit, but Martha still didn't look convinced.

"I should take your blood pressure." Martha said.

"Martha! I'm fine!" Tish replied.

"Her freckles are almost gone." Rixel said.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Martha said, almost laughing. "They are just freckles!"

"I think it worked." Rixel stepped back. "I...I think I got it."

Martha sighed, but Tish seemed grateful. She snatched a silver bowl off the counter and glanced at her reflection. Her hand scoured over her cheeks. "Oh, that's going to save me so much makeup!"

Rixel chuckled. Slowly at first, but then it manifested into a full out laugh.

The sisters both looked at her like she was crazy.

"Don't you get it?" Rixel said, still laughing. "I did it! I found the cure!"

"Your friend's a nutter." Tish said.

"Rixel, that's not possible." Martha shook her head.

"Yes it is!" The red headed girl snapped back. "Just look!"

Martha only shook her head.

Rixel didn't care. She knew what she had done. Somehow, though it was impossible, she just cured the Sunstar Virus.

Martha picked up Rixel's notebook and frowned. "This compound looks terrible. What's the pH balance on it?"

Rixel shrugged. "It's pretty acidic. I'd even dare say zero."

"You injected her with a zero acid!" Martha's eyes widened.

Rixel bit her lip. "Maybe."

"Rixel! That should have burned her skin right off!"

"Oh, relax Martha." Tish rolled her eyes.

Martha ripped the sheet out of Rixel's notebook.

"Hey!" Rixel leapt forward, but Martha easily pushed her away. The woman grabbed a pen and wrote down the pH in front of the elemental compound.

"I'm taking this to work. See what they can tell me." Martha frowned.

"No, don't!" Rixel replied. "It's got too much from the future! You can't!"

"Rixel, you just injected my sister." Martha replied. "I don't trust it."

"But Martha-"

"What's phoenix?" Tish interrupted.

"What?" Martha turned to look at the girl.

Rixel froze. Phoenix. Her nickname with the Master. She hadn't though of him in years. The man who betrayed her and stole River's vortex manipulator.

"Phoenix." Tish said. She pointed to the paper in Martha's hand.

Martha held the page up. "No, it's two different things. The pH balance and compound of whatever it is she just injected you with. See? Ph of 0 and whatever that new element was, Nitrogen, Iodine and Xenon. Come on Trish, it's basic high school chemistry."

"I hated chemistry." Tish replied, snatching the paper back. "Besides, the way you wrote the pH before it and your zero looks like an 'o'. Ph0 E NI Xe. I'm not crazy."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Who cares what it looks like? It's just a stupid compound!"

Rixel could barely even hear them. Her ears were ringing and her heart pounded in her head. That wasn't possible. It was far too much of a coincidence to be real. Yes, it was a stretch since Martha did add the pH a little weird, but...the coincidence. It was too great. Too much.

Before either of the two girls could react, the red headed girl snatched the paper away from Martha and ran. She bolted out the front door and down the street. She was too far away to find her way back to Rattigan academy, but she didn't need to. She just needed to get far enough away then call Jessica.


	37. Return of the Doctor

**Rattigan Academy, 2009**

When Rixel got back to the academy, she hid the paper under her mattress, along with the small blue box she'd taken from the Doctor's office so many years ago. It wasn't the most perfect hiding spot, but it was the only place she could think to hide things. And this paper needed hiding. It was too dangerous and too...crazy...for anyone else to see. Yes, she'd managed to find the cure she needed to, but that didn't stop anything yet. The Sunstar virus, and the Requiem for that matter, were still several years away.

While Jessica pestered her for days about what she had been doing, Rixel only told her it was something for her cousin that ended in a big fight. That's why she ran away, and that's why she ignored Martha's calls. Martha even came up to the school one day, but thankfully Rixel had been in the basement lab with Luke.

Three days after the incident, Luke informed her that they would be taking the day off. It wasn't too soon, either. Rixel was exhausted. She loved working with Luke down in the lab, but they worked so hard she rarely could think for herself. She hadn't been staying up late to work on her own projects, but still the sleep she got wasn't enough. She was about to head back to her bedroom when Jessica stopped her.

"Come look at this?"

Rixel sighed. "Jess, I'm really tired."

"Just a sec, promise." Jessica pleased. "You're smarter than us. You can tell me what we are missing."

Rixel nodded her head. She couldn't help it. She liked being called smart, no matter how often she heard it.

The red headed girl sluggishly dragged her feet over toward the table Jessica and her group were working at. In the center of the table was a large biosphere. In the center of that was a patch of grass, along with what appeared to be a tiny ATMOS. The plastic coating around the outside of the biosphere was slightly opaque, making it hard to see everything inside.

"Where's Luke today?" Jessica asked.

"Can we just do this?" Rixel groaned. "I'm too tired."

"Okay, okay." Jessica replied, disappointed. "Well, you see how we have the-"

The girl was interrupted by a loud bag as the doors to the room slammed open.

"Oh, now... that's clever!"

Rixel felt her heart stop. She must have imagined that voice. There was no way possible that voice could be heard by her ever again. Especially not here.

"Single-molecule fabric! How thin is that? You could pack a tent in a thimble!"

She didn't even bother to look. She ducked down under the table. Her whole body trembled and her breath quickened. That was the Doctor's voice. She was sure of it. How did he get here?!

"What are you doing?" Jessica knelt down.

Rixel hit the girl. "Ignore me!" She hissed.

"Terra-forming!"

Rixel saw those unmistakable red sneakers stop at the table she was under. His blue pinstriped pant legs. She found herself eager to reach out and touch him. To prove to herself that this couldn't be real.

"Rix, come on!" Jessica whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Jessica! Ignore me!" Rixel seethed out through her teeth.

It was too late. Jessica had drawn too much attention.

"Jessica? What are you doing?" Luke asked.

Jessica jumped up, her face red. "Oh, um. Sorry, sir. There was just um, something..."

She didn't get a chance to finished. Next thing Rixel knew, Luke was squatting down with a puzzled look on his face. "Rix, what are you doing down there?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but she was too scared and embarrassed to actually enunciate anything.

Then the unthinkable happened. Those blue pinstriped slacks moved downward. The Doctor's face appeared beneath the table, along with his black glasses.

Rixel tried to give him a smile, but she doubted her face even twitched.

The Doctor stared back at her, astonished. He blinked several times. "That's not possible." He said, his voice low and almost angry.

Rixel pulled herself up, standing behind the giant biosphere. The Doctor and Luke rose as well, looking at her from either side of the sphere across the table.

"You two know each other?" Luke asked.

Rixel couldn't tell, but it almost sounded like Luke was upset? She was about to give a horribly evasive answer when the Doctor spoke first.

"Nope." He shrugged. "Never seen her a day before in my life. Amazing work you've got here."

With that he turned and looked at another project. "Nano-tech steel construction! Haha, this is brilliant!"

Rixel felt her heart sink. He...didn't recognize her? How was that possible? No. She'd seen the way his face drained of all color when he saw her. He even said it wasn't possible. There was a reason he was ignoring her.

"If only that was possible." Luke said, replying to something the Doctor mentioned.

"If only that _were_ possible." The Doctor said. He took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. "Conditional clause."

Luke looked back at Rixel. "Rix, can you grab our project from the lab and meet me in my office?"

Rixel blinked.

"Oh, don't send one of your students to go get something." The Doctor scoffed. He avoided Rixel's stare. "I can just go with you and we can-"

"No." Luke held up a hand, silencing the Doctor. "Rixel?"

She nodded eagerly, then ran off towards the hallway. Though the main secret entrance was in the big lab, everyone else was still there, including the Doctor. Last week Luke had shown her the service entrance through the vents. It wasn't comfortable and she had to crawl, but it was secret.

What the hell was the Doctor doing here?! Rixel's thoughts raced like crazy as she crawled down the to secret lab. He was here! At Rattigan Academy! Had he come to get her back? She shook her head. No. He pretended not to know her. He wasn't here for her. She was just an unfortunate accident. She wasn't suppose to be here. Martha sent her to some stupid girl's school. She should be there studying the periodic table and how to count electrodes.

Rixel dropped down into the lab with a thud. She raced over to the secondary ATMOS that her and Luke had been working on. It was beautiful, Rixel thought. She picked it up, holding it lightly in her hands. Deadly, too. But that was okay. Luke promised her it was safe. She smiled as she held it close to her. Luke was so amazing. He'd taught her so many things in the past few weeks. Things she'd never have learned if she was still with the Doctor. No. If he was dumb enough to even think about asking her back, she'd say no. She hated the Doctor. She crawled back up the ventilation tube. In fact, she was excited to show him this ATMOS. To show him she didn't need him. She was brilliant. And now she had Luke.

Rixel tucked the ATMOS into her jumper pocket and knocked on Luke's door. A moment later it opened.

In the center of the room stood the Doctor, Luke and some guard with a gun. In front of them was an...alien? That was the best way to describe it. It looked like a creepy mole Diglet thing.

All eyes turned to her.

"Rixel!" Luke called out to her.

"Ah, come on it. It's alright." The Doctor said. He gave no sign that he knew her.

The guard looked pale, like he was about to pass out any moment.

Rixel took a few steps into the room. Luke held out his arm, blocking her from the alien thing.

"Now, as I was saying." The Doctor turned back to the alien. "Sontarans only have one weakness-"

"Sontarans have no weakness!" The alien shouted back.

"No, it's a good weakness!" The Doctor replied.

"For someone so clever, you're an idiot for provoking him!" Luke yelled at the Doctor.

The Doctor turned around and winked at Luke. Rixel felt a ripple of anger wash over her. How dare he ignore her after all these years! After forcing her to stay here, against her will, and now what? He just planned on waltzing around as if she didn't exist?

The Doctor flicked a ball up into the air and smacked it with a racket. The ball bounced off the strange video game-esk cube behind the alien, then hit it in the back of the neck.

"Out, out, out!" The Doctor turned, pushing the guard towards the door.

Luke took a step towards the alien. "What have you done?"

The Doctor jumped back and grabbed Rixel's hand, pulling her with him.

"What have you done?!" Luke yelled again, looking over the alien.

The Doctor held onto Rixel's hand as they ran out of the school and down the steps to a vehicle parked just outside. He pulled open the backseat door, practically tossing her inside, then jumped in the passenger side.

"What are you doing?" Rixel asked as the guard started up the car.

The Doctor ignored her. He picked up the hand radio as the vehicle sped off the Rattigan Academy property. "Greyhound Forty to Trap One. Repeat: Can you hear me? Over."

"Why is it not working?" The guard asked.

"Must be the Sontarans." The Doctor replied.

"Doctor!" Rixel growled.

He turned around. "You shouldn't be here."

"You dragged me here." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, why'd you do that?" The guard asked.

The Doctor ignored him. "I left you in Martha's care. She knows this place is bad!"

"I left Martha years ago." Rixel narrowed her eyes. "I'm not your kid. You can't control me."

The Doctor looked stunned for a moment, then looked away.

"Wait, you know her?" The guard asked again.

"TURN LEFT." The ATMOS spoke with a feminine voice.

"Try going right." The Doctor said.

"It says left," the guard replied.

"I know." The Doctor rubbed his face. "So go right."

A moment later, the guard pulled his hands back from the wheel. "I've got no control. It's driving itself. It won't stop."

The Doctor tugged at the door, then pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Rixel never thought she'd see that thing again. "Argh! It's deadlocked!" The Doctor growled.

"We're headed for the river!" The guard cried as the vehicle turned towards the water.

"Doctor!" Rixel called out.

"ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my order? Anything I say, you'll ignore it?"

"CONFIRMED." The ATMOS replied.

"Then drive into the river!" The Doctor yelled. He leaned back into his chair. "I order you to drive into the river!"

A moment later, the vehicle screeched to a halt, just before the water.

"Out, out!" The Doctor yelled.

They didn't need to be told twice. Rixel pulled at the handle and jumped out of the vehicle. She ran, going as fast as she could. She felt the Doctor's hand come up from behind her and pull her down to the ground. She landed there with a small cry of pain. The Doctor instantly put his arm over her head, shielding her.

A soft puff of a pop came from behind them. The Doctor slowly looked up.

"Oh," he frowned. "Is that it?"


	38. enemies

**London, 2009**

_"'Is that it'?"_ Rixel smacked the Doctor on the shoulder. "What were you thinking?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" He shrugged. "We're not dead."

"Thankfully." The guard said.

Rixel got up to her feet and brushed off her legs. "That's all you have to say? After all these years? You come back into my life only to try and get me killed within minutes!" She spun on her heels and started to march off.

"Oh, Rixel. Wait!" The Doctor scrambled up to his feet and chased after her. "That's not fair. You weren't suppose to be there."

"Deny it all you want." Rixel huffed. "I was there and I was happy. Until you came and messed everything up."

"Happy?" The Doctor scoffed. "They were making weapons! You were happy making devices of death?"

"Weapons?" Rixel roared, lengthening her stride. Her legs were far too small to even make a difference to him. "I was working on saving the planet! I can do that, or is that against your rules, too?"

He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop. "Rixel, I know you're mad-"

"Oh, you have no idea." Rixel sorted. She glared back at him, resisting the urge to slap him.

"I did it for your own safety. I had to leave you here." He replied, a bit calmer than before. "I couldn't risk it after...after..."

"After what?" Rixel rolled her eyes. "The Daleks? Oh please, that was nothing! I'm fine! Face it, you couldn't handle the fact that I was getting as smart as you." She poked her finger into his chest. "You have to be the only genius on the Tardis."

He blinked. "That's not true at all."

Rixel growled, throwing her hands up in the air. For years she thought of what she'd say if she ever saw him again. A mixture of telling him she hated him and she loved him. All of it flew out of her head now. She spun around again. "I'm going back!"

"Wait, Rixel!" The Doctor jogged up to her, walking beside her. "You can't. It's not safe."

"Not for you to decide anymore." She replied.

"I-"

"No." Rixel stopped walking. She pushed him lightly, but she was still too small to actually force him to go anywhere. "I don't need you anymore. I don't want you!"

The Doctor paused. His eyes grew dark in front of her. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do!" Rixel breathed out. She looked away from him. No, she really didn't. She wanted to hug him and run away with him. But she couldn't. Not now. Not after he abandoned her.

"Rixel." He reached forward and took her hand in his.

She let him hold her hand for a moment. That wonderful feeling of warmth and even a bit of the golden glow swirled in that hand. It felt like home. She didn't want to ever let go. But she did. She tore her hand away and closed her eyes. "I'm going back to the Academy."

"Don't do this." The Doctor whispered. "Please, don't do this."

"Are you going to attack the Academy?" Rixel took in a deep breath and dared to look up at him. He looked so broken she almost crumbled herself. Almost.

"It's not safe there."

"Are you going to attack it?" She asked again.

He sighed. "There's a teleporter in Rattigan's office. We have to shut it down."

"Then I guess that makes us enemies." Rixel said. Her heart cried even as she said the words. Every part of her wanted to scream that she didn't mean it and she wanted to go back to him and the Tardis, but somehow she didn't. She managed to stand her ground. How much longer she could keep it up, she didn't know.

"What?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You attack my school, and I'll make sure you have an army to meet you."

"Rixel-"

"Goodbye, Doctor." Rixel turned and walked off. He didn't follow her. She was glad. The moment her eyes left him, tears started to form. Her chest ached. All she wanted to do was curl up and cry. But not yet. No. Right now, she had to get back to Luke and warn him. Let him know the dangers that were about to invade the academy.

The Doctor would be coming. Yes, of that she was sure. And she'd be ready. She'd meet the Oncoming Storm with the fiery passion of the setting sun.

* * *

Her hands were trembling. She couldn't believe she'd done that! Even now, sitting in Luke's office, she felt sick. She left the Doctor. She told him she didn't need him anymore. She said they were enemies.

"He is our enemy." Luke said quietly. "He doesn't understand. And he's reacting like everyone does when they don't understand. He's trying to shut us down."

"You had an alien in your office." Rixel said. She looked over towards the cube against the wall. The Doctor said there was a teleporter here, and if anything could be one, that was it.

"Rix, there's a lot to explain."

"I'm listening." She said.

"No, but really. It's all confusing and it-"

"Luke?" Rixel waited as he sighed then finally looked over at her. "I came back. I'm on your side. Relax. Just tell me the truth."

He ran his hands through his hair. "Ok. There's this alien race. The Sontarans. Like you saw before. They came to me and told me how to make the ATMOS. Everything we've been building, it's all been to move to a new planet. Caster 36, far away from here. We can start a new race of genius'."

Rixel paused. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"Rixel, think of it. A new world. Our world. No one to make fun of us or hold us back. We can study everything and anything. No limits."

Rixel shook her head. "That's not possible."

"Of course it is!" He gestured towards the teleporter. "The Sontarans! They promised to take us! We've got everything here to terraform the planet!"

She sighed. "Luke, it's a great idea, but humans aren't meant to leave Earth yet."

"What are you talking about?" He shook his head. With his hand in hers, he tugged her towards the window. "Look out there. This world is falling. Soon it'll all be gone. All that will be left is those I hand picked to start a new civilization."

Rixel stared out the window. The sky was clouded over, murky clouds polluted the skyline. "Luke...the ATMOS!"

He grinned to himself. "I know. I told you everything would be alright."

"How is this alright?" She spun around to face him. "Killing everyone on the planet?"

"But, I thought this is what you wanted." He said, shocked.

"How could this possibly be what I wanted?" Rixel gasped. "I came to Rattigan to study in peace, not to obliterate everything that opposed me!"

"But-"

"Luke, without opposition, we'll never question ourselves! We'll never be forced to prove things right or wrong! We need people to tell us we are wrong so that we work hard to prove them right!"

He scowled. "You don't get it."

"No, Luke." Rixel groaned. "Oh, what have I done!"

Luke grabbed her shoulders. "Rixel, everything will be okay. We'll survive."

She pushed him away. "This isn't what I wanted."

"But, I thought...you and I..."

Rixel shook her head. "Not anymore."

She jumped back as he tried to reach for her, but his arms were long. He grabbed onto her wrist.

"I'll prove it to you." He growled as he pulled her close to him. "I'll show you and everyone else!" He turned and dragged her towards the teleporter.

"Luke!" Rixel struggled against his grip. "Stop this!"

"We're going to Caster 36." His hand smashed down on the button.

Rixel blinked and found herself on the Sontaran ship. Around her, dozens of those creepy aliens walked about. They were chanting something, smashing their fists together. It looked like an army getting ready for war.

"Sorry to report, sir. I've failed. The rest of them wouldn't come. The students. They...lacked the imagination to believe." Luke said to one of the nearby aliens.

"A pity. We've lost out target practice!" The alien replied.

"What?" Both Luke and Rixel gasped.

"Upon arrival, your students would have been shot down."

"But, you promised!" Luke cried.

"Caster 36, indeed!" The alien said. "We only needed you for the installation of the ATMOS system."

"But-I'm on your side!" Luke twitched. "And it's not ATMOS system, that's a tautology."

"Execute them!" The alien roared.

Luke hugged Rixel to him and smashed the button on the teleporter.

As soon as they were back in his office, he let go of her.

Rixel immediately started to punch him in the arm repeatedly. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Luke didn't reply. He just let her hit him. A moment later, he fell to the floor, crying.

When he finally settled down, Rixel was sitting across the room. She knew she should just leave him, but she couldn't. Even after everything he did, she still knew him for who he was. A moron, yes, but he was trying to do something he thought would benefit her. He wanted a better life for people like her. She hated him for how he went about it, but she still admired him. A stupid moron he may be, but a genius he still was.

"You're still here." He said, quietly.

She nodded. "The world's about to end. It doesn't matter where I go now."

He hung his head down. "This wasn't suppose to happen."

"I know." Rixel said.

He staggered up to his feet and walked over towards his desk. "I have to fix this."

"You can't." Rixel shook her head. "I worked on the ATMOS. There's no way to disengage it from here. Not all of them."

He pulled open a drawer and lifted out a gun. "Maybe if I-?" He glanced towards the teleporter.

Rixel walked over towards him and put a hand on the gun, lowering it. "Luke, it wouldn't do anything."

"I'm so sorry." He said in a way that reminded her of the Doctor. "I didn't mean it to go like this."

She frowned. "Yes, you did. You just didn't mean to die yourself."

He shook his head. "I didn't think-"

"I know." Rixel sighed.

"I really thought things would be better for us." He looked down at her, his eyes fixing on hers. A million emotions were behind his eyes. Fear, hurt, anger, confusion...hopelessness. She realized now that's what the Doctor's eyes were like. Millions of emotions, but the biggest one was hopelessness. Her heart leaped into her throat. She didn't want Luke to feel hopeless. She wanted him to smile, even if they were about to die. Just one smile.

Rixel licked her lips. His eyes glanced down at them for a moment, before returning to her eyes.

"Luke, I-"

He shushed her, placing a hand on her chin. His thumb stroked her cheek for a moment. It felt like electric sparks were shooting out of his hand. It was amazing. She didn't want him to stop. Subconsciously, she titled her head into his hand. He leaned forward, bring his head down towards her.

"Here!" The Doctor's voice startled them both. They turned to see him standing in the transporter. "The Rattigan Academy owned by..."

Luke stepped in front of Rixel and raised his gun at him. "It wasn't my fault! The Sontarans, they lied to me! They-"

The Doctor stepped forward and ripped the gun out of Luke's hand. "If I see one more gun..." He sneered, before tossing it off to the side.

Rixel then noticed that Martha and another woman were with the Doctor. They were talking to each other in low voices.

The Doctor glanced over at Rixel. "You alright?"

She looked away. He should hate her. The last time she saw him, she said they were enemies. She joined the side that was now destroying the world. She didn't deserve his kindness.

The Doctor turned and headed out into the laboratory. A moment later, everyone followed after him.

"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles. Ground-to-air engagement could have sparked off the whole thing. Ruined the air they needed to purify the world." He babbled on to himself as he collected parts from around the lab. "They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. All the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?"

"They promised us a new world." Luke said. His voice was broken. Rixel reached over and grabbed his hand.

"An atmospheric converter!" The Doctor picked up a silver object.

Rixel gasped, suddenly realizing what he said before. "If the air ignites, the atmosphere would burn up the ATMOS exhaust!"

The Doctor spun around and grinned at her. "Nice to have you back, Rixel." His grin fell when his eyes dropped down upon her hand linked with Luke's.

"So, all we have to do it torch the air?" Martha asked, catching on.

The Doctor turned and ran towards the front doors. "Lets see!"

They all ran outside, standing behind the Doctor. He held the small device out in front of him. With the press of a button, giant flames launched up into the atmosphere.

"Please, please, please, please, please." The Doctor muttered to himself.

Fire spread out across the sky. As it moved, the clouded toxic air seemed to vaporize, leaving a brilliant blue sky.

"He's a genius!" Luke exclaimed.

"And now we're in trouble." The Doctor turned and ran back into the school.

The group of them ran back into Luke's office. The Doctor jumped into the teleporter. He looked out over the group for a moment. "Right, so, Donna. Thank you. For everything. Martha, you too. Oh, so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life. And take care of Rixel. She'll save the world."

"You're saying goodbye." The woman that Rixel didn't know spoke up.

"Sontarans are never defeated. They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, you know. I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air so..."

"You're going to ignite them." Martha finished.

"Hang on!" Rixel spoke up. "You'll kill yourself!"

The Doctor shifted his gaze away, avoiding her eyes.

"You can't do that!" Rixel argued.

"Just send it up on it's own. Put it on a delay or something!" Martha said.

"I can't." The Doctor replied, staring at the ground.

"Why not?" Rixel asked.

"I've got to give them a choice." He sighed. Before they could do anything, he pushed the button and teleported away.


	39. back to the tardis

**Rattigan Academy, 2009**

Rixel ran towards the empty teleporter. She hit the button over and over, but nothing happened.

"He disabled it." Martha said.

"Well, fix it!" Rixel's breath started to quicken. "Luke? Reconnect it!"

He shook his head. "I-I-I don't know how."

"I'm not going to just leave him there to die!" Rixel pulled open the panel under the button, revealing a tangled mess of wires. She had no idea what she was doing, but if she stated splicing enough wires together something had to happen.

"You'll get hurt!" Luke took a step forward.

Martha blocked him. "Stay away from her."

"Rixel!" Luke called out.

She ignored him. She didn't necessarily care for Martha's over-protective behavior, but right now she needed to focus on this. She thought she'd lost the Doctor forever. She wasn't about to lose him again.

"Yeah. Stay away from her, boy." The strange woman said, standing guard next to Martha.

"She'll electrocute herself!" Luke argued.

Martha shrugged and folded her arms. "She's smart. She'll figure it out."

"Why do you care anyway?" The stranger poked Luke in the chest. "You almost killed everyone a few moments ago."

"Not her!" Luke yelled out in frustration, turning around in a circle. "I'd never hurt her!"

"Oh?" Martha raised an eyebrow.

"I-I can help!" Luke tried to walk towards Rixel again, but the girls blocked him. "I know how the technology works. Sort of. I can help!"

"Let him through." Rixel sighed.

"What, this little one?" The strange woman said, jabbing a thumb in Luke's direction. "The kid that almost killed the world?"

"Yeah." Rixel shook her head. "He's right. I don't know what I'm doing. If anyone can figure it out, he can."

He ran passed the two woman and over towards Rixel. He smiled weakly at her before dropping down to mess with the wires.

"I'm warning you." Martha said. "If you try anything funny-"

"Relax, Martha." Rixel said. "If he says he'll help, then he will help."

"I don't trust 'im." The stranger said.

"Who are you?" Rixel asked.

"Me? Who are you?"

"We'll discuss it later." Martha groaned, interrupting.

"Rixel?" Luke spoke up.

She spun around to him. He grabbed her hands in his and smiled down at her.

"You're wonderful, you know that?"

She smiled back at him, but she didn't feel happy. "You can't fix it?"

His hand moved up and rested under her chin. "He's important to you?"

"The Doctor?" Rixel nodded. "He's...he's like a father to me."

Luke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "For you, the world." He pulled back, kissing her temple as he did so. His hands fell from hers and he stepped into the transporter and pushed the button.

Luke vanished and the Doctor appeared in his place.

Rixel blinked, realizing what just happened. "Luke!" She ran forward.

The Doctor caught her, pulling her away from the button. "No, no! Don't touch it!"

"But he'll-!"

The Doctor held onto her, hugging her against him. Rixel struggled for a moment, then slowly started to give up. Tears dropped from her eyes and she buried her face into the Doctor's coat.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. His hand stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Rixel sat on the small seat inside the Tardis. The wonderful golden warmth buzzed through her body, but she wasn't happy. She couldn't be. Her shoulders sunk down as she stared at the metal mesh floor.

"How was your family?" Martha asked as the strange woman walked into the Tardis.

"Oh, same old stuff." The woman sniffled. "So! You lot gonna come with us? We're not exactly short of space."

"Oh, I've missed this all, but you know." Martha shrugged. "I'm good here. Back at home. Besides, still engaged and all."

"And her?"

Rixel could feel them staring at her, but she didn't care. She didn't feel like responding. Her final moment with Luke repeated over and over in her head. Her mind was trying to figure out how she could have stopped him.

"She'll be fine." Martha sighed. "Just...don't be too harsh with her."

A moment later, Martha walked down to the open door. Just before she crossed out, the Tardis door slammed shut and the floor started to shake. Rixel glanced up. The center tube was moving up and down and that all too familiar whir she hadn't heard in what felt like a lifetime rumbled through her rib cage.

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha growled.

"No, no, no! I didn't touch anything! We're in flight!" The Doctor cried out.

Rixel took in a sharp breath of air as her chest started to burn. She glanced down at her chest. Before she left the Academy, she managed to grab a few of her important belongings, including her mother's locket. The locket now hung around her chest. The Tardis flung around in flight, but Rixel managed to grab the locket with ease, clasping her fingers around it. Pain raced up her arms. Oh, how she'd forgotten how bad it hurt! She whimpered quietly. No one heard her over the commotion of the Tardis.

"Where are we going?" The woman asked.

"I don't know! It's out of control!" The Doctor said, shocked.

Rixel looked up at the Doctor. The Doctor that abandoned her. The Doctor that she became enemies with. The huggable Doctor. She was glad she was jumping. She didn't want to be near him anymore.

The pain engulfed her. Rixel doubled over, gasping out as her head exploded in pain.

Then, just as it always had been, the pain vanished in an instant.


	40. little amelia pond

**Tardis**

"Oh." Rixel lifted her head. The room was spinning and she felt like the light burst into tiny stars about her.

"Rixel!"

She shook her head, hoping to push away the dizziness.

"Rixel!"

That was the Doctor's voice, but he didn't sound excited. More like...scared. She looked about the control room. It was ...exploding! Flames were burning almost everywhere and sparks were coming off the walls. She jumped up to her feet, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Over here!" He cried out.

She spun around. The door to the Tardis was wide open, and the outside world was buzzing around. At the bottom of the door, barely handing on, was the Doctor. The bow-tie Doctor. But...he wasn't wearing a bow-tie. He was wearing a regular tie.

"Doctor!" Rixel ran over towards the door. Sparks were flying out from the walls of the Tardis. She dropped down to her knees and grabbed his arm.

"Help me up!" He cried, slipping a bit as he spoke.

Rixel braced her legs up against the side of the door and pulled. She groaned as she struggled to lift him back up into the Tardis. His hand reached out and clawed at the door frame. Slowly, he crawled and pulled his way back into the Tardis.

The Doctor sighed in relief, and shut the door, sitting up against it.

"Are you alright?" Rixel asked.

"Yeah." He breathed out. As he did so, the Tardis jolted to the side, sending them flying up against the wall.

"What's going on?" Rixel cried out.

"I've regenerated!" He yelled out as a piece of the Tardis fell on his head.

"But, the Tardis?" Rixel asked.

The Tardis jolted again, this time ending with a loud thud. The two of them dropped down onto the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Fire raged above them.

The Doctor grabbed Rixel's hand. He threw open the door.

As he did so, the gravity seemed to shift in the Tardis. They both grabbed onto the edge of the door as their feet swung out from under them. The Tardis jolted with a loud thud, then went silent. Well, almost silent.

"Doctor!" Rixel cried.

He pulled himself up, sitting on the lip of the door. He reached down and pulled her up towards him.

Rixel flipped out over the door frame and tumbled down to the soft grass next to the Tardis. "Ow."

The Doctor jumped down next to her.

"Nice landing." Rixel muttered. She lifted her head up to see where they were. It was night. A gorgeous white house stood before them, covered in vines. All around them was a plush garden, wonderfully maintained. Well, except for where the Tardis crashed into it. And a few feet away, standing with an open jaw, was a little red headed girl.

Rixel froze. The girl was young. Like, six. The age she was when she started to travel with the Doctor. Her mind instantly made the link that it was her, and now she'd done it. Crossed the time streams and ruined everything. But she relaxed when she realized it couldn't be her. She'd never been to this place before, even with the Doctor.

The Doctor spun around, staggering slightly. "Whoa! Look at that!" He glared at the Tardis.

"Are you okay?" The little girl asked.

"Just had a fall. Crashed the Tardis up a bit." The Doctor grabbed the side of his head as he leaned up against the Tardis.

"Are you a policeman?" The girl asked.

"Why? Did you call a policeman?"

"Did you come about the crack in my wall?"

"What cra-ah-ah arg!" The Doctor collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest.

"Doctor!" Rixel ran over to him, dropping down to his side.

"Is he alright?" The little girl asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The Doctor groaned. He jerked forward.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Rixel asked. She looked over him, but everything seemed fine. Well, minus the scorched clothes from the burning Tardis.

A golden pixie dust floated out of his mouth. Rixel gasped. She'd seen that strange glow before. Just once.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

The Doctor glanced down at his hands, which were sparkling with the golden glow. "I don't know yet. I'm still cooking." He paused. "Does it scare you?"

The little girl shook her head. "Just looked a bit weird."

"No, no, not me. The crack in your wall. Does it scare you?"

"Yes." The girl replied.

"You're regenerating." Rixel said. That glow, she'd only seen it before on the Doctor with the big grin. Right after the Daleks.

"Yes, I already told you that." He groaned, grasping his side again.

"Are you leaving me?" Her voice cracked. She loved the bow-tie Doctor more than any other. She didn't think she could handle another one. Not so soon after just getting him back.

"Of course not!" He laughed. "You're the one that always vanishes on me." He winked at her.

Rixel frowned. He seemed to be in a cheerful mood, despite the fact that he was clearly in pain.

The Doctor stood back up, using his hand on the Tardis to gain his balance. "No time to lose. I'm the Doctor, this is Rixel. She'll watch you while I take care of the crack in your wall. Do as she says, she's very clever."

Rixel looked over at the red haired child. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable.

The Doctor stumbled forward. Rixel ran up and grabbed his arm. The three of them went into the house. It was a quaint house, and it reminded Rixel of her parents house that one time they went. It looked nothing like Martha's tidy place.

"If you're not a police man, why does your box say police?" The girl asked.

The Doctor picked up an apple from the fruit basket on the counter in the kitchen. He sniffed it, then tossed it aside. "That's disgusting. What is that?"

"Doctor, maybe you should rest." Rixel suggested.

"No! No time to lose!" The Doctor jerked to the side, leaning up against the door.

Rixel sighed. "We need a place to rest. I'm sorry, what was your name?"

The little girl smiled. "Amelia Pond."

"Oh, that's a brilliant name!" The Doctor said. "Amelia Pond. Like a fairytale."

"A-Amy?" Rixel gasped.

The little girl shook her head. "No one calls me that."

The Doctor seemed distracted, looking at a painting on the wall, then over at a magazine on the table.

"You're little Amy Pond." Rixel couldn't believe it.

"Is your mum or dad here?" The Doctor spun around.

Amelia shook her head. "Don't have a mum or dad. Just an aunt."

"Is she here?"

Again, the girl shook her head. "She's out."

"She left you all alone?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm not scared!" Amelia said.

"Course you're not! You're not scared of anything. Box falls out of the sky, man and woman fall out and you just sit there." The Doctor replied. "So you know what I think?"

"What?" Amelia asked.

"That must be a hell of a scary crack in your wall."

* * *

The three of them headed upstairs to Amelia's bedroom. There, across her wall, was a brilliant blue crack shape. The Doctor marched over to it, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. Rixel sighed and picked up one of Amy's dolls. What she wouldn't have done for a proper doll at Amy's age. Well, this Amy's age. It felt so strange, seeing Amy this young. She felt like she was invading her privacy.

"Amy?" Rixel said. The little girl wondered over towards her. "Your doll is cute. She looks just like you."

Amy took the doll from Rixel and frowned. "She didn't used to. None of them did. Until the crack in my wall."

Rixel looked at the other dolls placed along the wall. They were all different shapes and sizes, but all of them had red curly hair and freckles. "They...all look like you."

Amy sighed. "Yeah."

Rixel picked up another. "Doctor? You should look at this."

"It's a crack." The Doctor muttered. "A crack in time and space. Not just in the wall."

Rixel flipped the doll over. The one she held in her hands wore a black velvet dress with white cotton sleeves. The dress had red flowers sewn into the lower part, and the same red was used to cross in a tie up top. The doll also wore a pair of knee-high red socks and shiny black Mary Janes. The whole outfit seemed vaguely familiar, but Rixel didn't know where from. She held out the doll to give to Amy when something gold reflected off the front of the doll's dress.

"Doctor?" Rixel gasped and lifted the doll up to get a better look.

The Doctor leaned up against the wall. "Prisoner zero?"

Rixel tossed the doll aside and picked up another one. Different clothes. Same red curly hair and freckles. She picked up another. Then another. All of them had the same golden locket hanging around it's neck. She grabbed another, and another. "Doctor!"

The Doctor jumped back as the wall shuddered, expanding the crack with a room shuddering crackle. Rixel dropped the dolls and instinctively grabbed onto Amy.

"Prisoner Zero has escaped." A voice boomed.

The Doctor looked over at the two girls. "You know when grown-ups tell you everything is going to be fine, and you think they're probably lying just to make you feel better?"

Little Amy sighed. "Yes."

The Doctor stepped back closer to them. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Prisoner Zero has escaped."

"Rixel, take Amelia downstairs." The Doctor said.

"But-"

"Go!" He shouted over his shoulder.

Rixel stumbled for a second, then grabbed Amy's hand and took her downstairs.

* * *

Little Amy sat on the couch, one of her dolls in her lap. Rixel sat on the chair across the room. She stared at the doll. How could Amy as a kid have a doll that had the exact same necklace as her? Not only one doll, but all of her dolls. Every single one had the locket.

"He's a bit odd." Amy spoke up.

Rixel nodded. "Yes."

"Is he your dad?"

Rixel scrunched up her nose. "No. Not really. He acts like it sometimes. Though he's different now that usual."

"Oh." Amy said.

Rixel glanced down at the floor. She needed something to keep her mind off the strange dolls. Her mind wondered to the events that happened just before they arrived here.

Luke.

Rixel found herself in pain. Her heart ached. Oh, Luke. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve to die. It just- Rixel shook her head. This wasn't something she should be thinking about either. She shoved her hands in pockets and to her surprise she found a small object in there. She pulled it out and held the small little blue box up to her eyes.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"I don't know." Rixel said, turning the box over. It was the small box she'd taken from the Doctor's office years ago. So many years ago. She remembered grabbing it as she left Rattigan Academy, but at the time she hadn't remembered what it was. Now, sitting in Amy's quiet living room, she could hear the voices again. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but they were there. Distant.

"Is it a toy?" Amy got up from the couch, leaving her doll behind, and walked over to Rixel. She stared at the box curiously.

"I don't think so." Rixel said. She handed the box over to Amy.

Amy's eyes widened as she took it. "I...I hear people talking."

"Yeah." Rixel chewed on her lip, thoughtfully.

"What are they saying?"

Rixel shrugged. "I dunno."

"You think it's evil? Like Pandora's box?"

Rixel laughed. The thought never occurred to her. Leave it to the Doctor to have a box filled with evil in his office. "Like Pandora's box?" She repeated.

Amy nodded.

Rixel grinned and leaned forward. The dream of Rose she had so many years came back to her in a flash. All about a secret she couldn't tell the Doctor until after the Pandorica opens. "This must be! It's the...um...Pandorica!"

"The Pandorica?" Amy asked.

"Yeah." Rixel said. "It's a box filled with all the wonders of the world, both good and evil, but one cannot open the box without releasing both."

Amy shifted herself up into the chair beside to Rixel. She clutched the box on her lap, but her eyes were focused on Rixel.

"A long time ago, a very eccentric man locked away all the secrets of the universe. He hid them in a tiny box, because no one would ever believe that all the information in the universe could hide in such a small thing." Rixel said. She thought it sounded pretty good for making it all up on the spot. "Now, this box was something that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Think about it, if you had all the secrets of the universe, you'd know how to do everything. You could be evil and no one would ever be able to do anything about it. So he took this tiny little box and hid it away so no one could ever find it."

"Did he ever get curious and want to open it?" Amy asked.

"Oh yes, of course." Rixel grinned. "But that's what made this man so very special. He could resist the urge to open it. Until now. He's lived so long he doesn't know how he can keep on going without knowing the secrets to the universe. So, he decided to give it to a very small little girl to look after for him."

"Me?" Amy's eyes widened even more.

Rixel nodded. "But it's a secret. You can't tell him. It's important. And, Amy Pond, you must never ever, under any circumstances, open that box."

Amy looked at the box in her hands. "Or all the evil will get out."

Rixel smiled. "Yes. Or all the evil will get out."

A loud chong of a bell ran throughout the house. It sounded like a dull head-pounding gong. It continued to ring, and the Doctor raced down the stairs, nearly stumbling down.

"No, no, no, nooooooooo!" The Doctor yelled. He ran towards the front door.

Amy and Rixel jumped up and raced after him.

"What's wrong?" Rixel asked as they followed him into the garden.

"The engines!" The Doctor said. "They're phasing! They're gonna burn!" He threw opened the door to the Tardis and started to climb in.

"How can a box have engines?" Amy asked.

Rixel spun around and dropped down to look the girl in the eyes. The horrible sound of that bell or gong or whatever it was still rang throughout the yard. "Amy, keep the Pandorica hidden, okay?"

Amy nodded.

"Come on, Rixel!" The Doctor said, flipping into the Tardis. "A quick 5 minute hop into the future! That'll fix things!"

Rixel pulled Amy into a hug. "Good luck, Amy Pond." She jumped up and climbed back into the Tardis.

Inside, the gravity was all messed up. She managed to grab onto the railing to keep from falling onto the control panel.

"Doctor?" Rixel called out.

"Not to worry!" He said. He was clinging onto the control panel, pushing random buttons that he could reach. "Everything will be fine! Just fine!"

The door slammed shut and the familiar sound of the Tardis whirring started. A moment later, gravity righted itself and Rixel fell to the floor. She sat up, grabbing her head. "Oh, that was a trip."

"Not to worry. Everything is under control!" He walked over to her, stumbling at the railing beside her.

"You're not well." Rixel frowned. She got up to her feet and puled his arm over her shoulder. "You need rest."

The Doctor stopped wobbling around and turned his head to look at her. "Rixel..."

"Yes." She sighed. "That's me. And you need to rest."

"You came back again." His voice was almost too quiet for her to hear.

She smiled. "I keep turning up, yes." She resisted the urge to punch him. "Even if you abandon me."

His face fell. "I didn't...If I only knew what..."

Rixel surprised herself. She shook her head and gave him a small grin. "It's alright."

He blinked and his eyes seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking. He stood up. "Right. Well, let's see if that fixed it."

As Rixel stepped back, her locket started to burn. The pain caught her off guard, but she knew what it meant. She was leaving all too soon. "Doctor?"

He paused, looking at her. "Yes, Rixel?"

"I'm leaving."

"Oh."

Rixel looked down at her hand, closed around the locket. Wow, did it really always hurt this much? Dang, it burned! "Be nice to Amy!"

"Amy?" He blinked.

"Amelia Pond." Rixel rolled her eyes.

And then he was gone.


	41. the deadly library

**Tardis**

"You have to wait."

Rixel looked up, surprised to see Rose standing there. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blond. "Rose!"

"She's going to show you soon, but you can't tell him. Not until the Pandorica."

"What?" Rixel blinked.

They were standing in a silver room, and Rose was wearing those old 3-D red and blue glasses. Rose looked as wonderful as Rixel remembered. The blond smiled at her. "And for goodness sake, Rixel, tell him you forgive him! He missed you, you know."

The room faded away to darkness, then she woke up. Rixel groaned and pulled the covers over her head. A dream. A dream of Rose. How long had it been since she last dreamed of that woman? It was before the Academy, that was for sure.

Her first instinct was to roll over and shut off the alarm, but there was no noise. She didn't hear Jess wondering around either. Was it Saturday? No, Jess wouldn't have let her sleep in no matter what day it was. Rixel flopped the covers off her face and stared up at a strange ceiling. It was familiar, just not expected.

Oh. The Tardis. There was an odd displacement feeling in that statement. She was excited to be back, very excited, really. But...everything that happened to bring her back didn't seem real. She rolled over on her side and stared at the dresser. As much as she was happy to be back, part of her still missed the Academy. She'd been there for so long. Even longer than all her time spent on the Tardis. It was so strange to be here and not there.

She remembered jumping just after meeting poor little Amy Pond. When she arrived in an empty Tardis, Rixel couldn't help but realize how exhausted she was. The days events, well, they were chaotic to say the least. It was so crazy to think she woke up in the Academy just yesterday without a thought of the Doctor. And now...now she was back to all over this. Again, she loved it, but it still just felt so weird.

Rixel slowly got out of the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and stared at the reflection in the mirror. For a fourteen year old, her skin was surprisingly clear, but it was covered in light freckles. Not red freckles, of course. She was convinced now she was immune to that stupid Sunstar virus. Her red curls were much longer. Luke always talked about how he liked her long hair. Her hands gripped tightly around the sink edge at the thought of him. She'd finally had a chance to grow up and meet people and have friends and now? Now she didn't know. Traveling with the Doctor was wonderful, but was it worth the cost of lives of people she knew? People she cherished?

She pushed herself away from the mirror and wondered back into the bedroom. Just as it had been when she was little, an outfit was laid out at the foot of her bed. This time it was for a fourteen year old girl. Jeans and a black tee. How surprisingly normal. Even after all these years, his housekeeper took care of her. Or was it the Tardis? Either way, she had clothes. She guessed that was a good thing.

After she was dressed and ready, she slowly made her was down to the control room. She wasn't too eager to see the Doctor. As she got closer, she realized this was the older Tardis. The coral one. That meant it wasn't even the bow-tie Doctor. The idea of seeing any other Doctor but him didn't fill her with excitement. Still, it was the Doctor, and he really was the only family she had after her parents died. Just because she grew up without him, well, that didn't matter now.

Rixel rolled her eyes as she found the control room empty. Of course. He was probably out gallivanting through the universe, trying to save it or whatnot. She walked over towards the controls. That golden warmth rose up in her chest. That feeling of happiness embraced her, welcoming her home. She sat down on the seat with a sigh. Yes, even after everything, this still felt like home. Stupid Doctor.

Thinking of him, where is he? She jumped back up and wondered down to the door. Maybe as a naïve child it was foolish to go outside and wander around, but she was an adult now. Ok, well, a teenager. She could take care of herself. And she'd lived in the world now. She knew how things worked. Sort of.

Rixel pulled open the Tardis door to find what appeared to be a large reception area. Just as she was about to step outside, she heard a crackle behind her. She looked over her shoulder. There standing in the middle of the room, as if she'd always been there, was the strange woman that had been with the Doctor at the Academy. Rixel grinned. She turned to say hello, when the woman started to scream. Her body shimmered, and then she was gone.

Rixel gasped. She ran up the ramp, but there was no sign of the woman anywhere. "Hello? Hello!" She raced around the Tardis, darting down halls and peering in dark rooms. No matter where she looked, she couldn't find her anywhere. She needed help.

She needed to find the Doctor.

The building was huge. Though Rattigan Academy kept her in pretty good shape, Rixel found herself out of breath running around the place. Just how big was this, really? She'd figured out it was a library, but it was so large she doubted it could be real. Literally billions and billions of books were still not enough to fill this place.

It was cold, too. Not like the Titanic. She wasn't shivering, but there was a chill in her bones. Almost as if it wasn't the temperature, but something in the air. It kept her moving. She never stayed long. It always felt like something was chasing her. Add that to the vastness of the building, and she soon found herself lost.

Rixel leaned up against a bookshelf. She had no idea what to do. She doubted she could find her way back to the Tardis. Even if she could, she didn't want to go back in that direction. It just felt...uneasy. She looked around the room. Rows of desks and chairs, just like in a library. But no one was around. Wasn't that odd? Sure, the Doctor would hang out in a giant library, but wouldn't others too?

"Doctor!" Rixel called out. Her voiced echoed back to her from all angles. This wasn't getting her anywhere. She pushed herself off the bookshelf. "Oh, where am I?"

"You are currently located in the biography library."

Rixel jumped. She spun all the way around before realizing there was a creepy white robotic thing standing just a bit away from her. It was a sleek white body, but its face was surprisingly human. Very realistic. She took a step towards it. "Are you... like a directory or something?"

"I am Courtesy Node 416/mauve. Please enjoy the Library."

"Okay." Rixel looked around. There was still no one else in the room with her. "Where is everyone?"

"There are currently four humans in the library."

"Four?" Rixel nodded. "Yeah, ok. That's gotta be the Doctor, right? Where are they?"

"They are currently located in the Mars Science Fiction Rotunda."

"And how do I get there?"

The robot seemed to hum for a moment. "Please take the South East door. Go through 5 rooms, go left and straight through 3 more. Then go down the stairs 2 levels and across the terrace into the other building. Then go straight 2 more and then turn right."

Rixel closed her eyes, picturing it out like a map. She nodded slowly. "Ok, I think I've got it."

"Have a nice day. Would you like to hear the urgent message from our head librarian?"

Rixel waved. "I won't be checking any books out. It's okay!" She took off towards the door.

* * *

Up ahead she heard voices. Oh good, she was tired of running. Rixel burst through the double doors to find a giant circular room. In the center of it were four people. Two she didn't know, but the others were familiar. Wonderfully familiar. River and the Doctor. She called out to him.

"Rixel?" River and the Doctor both said at the same time.

The red headed teen ran down towards them and crashed into River with a hug. Oh, how she'd missed River!

"I haven't seen you in ages!" River said, hugging her back.

"You know her?" The Doctor furrowed his brow at the woman.

"Of course I do." River rolled her eyes.

Rixel let go and turned towards the Doctor. She wasn't sure what to do. Hugging him just seemed so odd. But this was the huggable Doctor. Only now he looked...angry. Oh no. Whenever he was angry, she didn't like it.

"Hi." She said meekly.

He frowned. "You shouldn't be here."

"It's alright." River said. "How goes saving the world?"

Rixel grinned. "I think I'm close this time."

River ruffled her head. "Last time I saw you, you were younger."

Rixel rolled her eyes and jutted her thumb off towards the Doctor. "Yeah. He abandoned me for a few years."

"That's horrible!" River glared over at him, but something glimmered in her eyes. "Leaving her on Earth."

"She didn't say that." The Doctor spun around.

"Say what?" Rixel asked.

"You didn't say I left you on Earth." The Doctor replied, but his eyes were still on River. "How did you know that?"

River shrugged. "Rixel and I go way back."

"Who are you?"

River grinned. "Spoilers."

The Doctor shook his head. He marched forward, grabbed Rixel by the arm and pulled her off to the side. "You shouldn't even be here."

"Why, because you just left me on Earth or something?" Rixel rolled her eyes. She wasn't mad at him. Really, after so long, she couldn't be. Yes, initially after he showed up she had been, but her years at Rattigan had taught her so much. She was much smarter now. More clever. A better person.

"No, that..." He lowered his voice. "You already came from that. But that doesn't matter. Who is that woman?"

"Who, River?" Rixel asked. For a moment, she thought he was joking, but then she realized his expression didn't change. She let out a small laugh. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm very serious." His voice was low and almost sounded like a growl. It scared her a bit.

"Doctor! She's River! River Song!" Actually, now that she thought about it, she didn't know what River was to the Doctor. A girlfriend or something, she guessed.

"She knows my name."

"Everyone knows your name." Rixel shrugged.

"No. My real name."

Rixel paused. "You...have another name?"

He sighed. "That's not the point."

"Oh yes it is." Rixel held a hand up. "You kidnapped me from my dead parents and then abandoned me on Earth once you grew tired of me and you never told me your name?"

"I didn't abandon you!" He shouted back.

They both froze as his voice echoed through the rotunda. He looked around nervously, then turned back to her.

"I was trying to keep you safe." He said, much quieter.

Rixel folded her arms. "I was safe with you."

"Safe..." He paused then lifted his head up to the ceiling. "Safe. Why did it say saved? It should have said safe. Oh! I'm so thick! Of course!"

The Doctor ran off towards the computer. Rixel stared at him like he was nuts. Yup, same old Doctor. Completely bonkers.

"You alright?" River asked.

Rixel nodded. She wanted to talk to River. At least she had her head on straight. She needed to know what was going on, but the Doctor was already yelling out in excitement.

"See! There it is! A hundred years ago, massive power surge. All the teleports going at once! Someone hit the alarm and everyone tried to teleport out at once!"

"It tired to teleport 4,022 people?"

"Succeeded!" The Doctor replied. "But then what? Nowhere safe on the whole Library. So they're stuck in the system, and what does a computer do?"

"Saved them." River said slowly.

"I'm confused." Rixel said. She knew she walked in the middle of something, but people being saved on a computer? That seemed a bit too extreme. Even for the Doctor.

The computer screen blinked, then faded to black.

"What!" The Doctor hit the side of the screen. "No, no, no, no!"

"All Library systems are permanently offline." The loudspeaker announced down to them. "Sorry for any inconvenience."

"We need to stop this and save CAL!" One of the people Rixel didn't know said.

"What's CAL?" The Doctor asked.

"We need to get to the main computer!" River said.

"That's at the core of the planet!" The Doctor said.

River grabbed onto Rixels hand and pointed her sonic screwdriver at the floor. "Gravity platform!"

The Doctor glanced at River. "I bet I like you."

"Oh, you do." River grinned.


	42. rixel is saved

**The Library, 51st century**

"Auto destruct in 15 minutes." The announcement told them as the gravity platform clicked into place.

"Seriously, who makes those!" Rixel growled. They were standing in a cramped control room with a computer terminal in the center.

"Rixel, stay with me." River placed a hand on the girl.

"Leave her alone." The Doctor said. He leaned over the control and started to push buttons. "She can take care of herself."

"Oh, now you think that!" Rixel rolled her eyes.

"Please, help me!" The voice of a little girl came out from the computer.

"I can't seem to get it out of sleep mode!" The Doctor said.

"Auto destruct in 14 minutes."

"It's almost like it's dreaming!" He muttered to himself.

"Help me. Please!"

"It is." The man Rixel didn't know said. "It's dreaming of a normal life and a lovely Dad and every book ever written."

Rixel noticed the Doctor's eyes flickered over to her for a second, then he went back to smashing the keyboard.

"Computers don't dream!" He shouted.

"No, but little girls do." The stranger leaned forward and pushed a lever, opening a strange panels door. A node stood in the corner, wearing the face of a little girl.

"Please, help!" The node cried out.

Rixel stepped back against River.

"It's the little girl we saw in the computer!" The strange woman said.

"She's not in the computer." The man said. "She is the computer. This is CAL."

"CAL is a child!" The Doctor turned toward River. "Get her out of here!"

River nodded and pulled Rixel.

"Auto destruct in 12 minutes."

"Wait! What's going on?" Rixel asked.

"Trust me." River said, pulling her out into the hall. "You don't want to know."

"I'm not a child anymore, River!" Rixel said. She tried to lean back to see into the room, but River kept pulling her down the hall.

"No, but in a way, he is." River stopped and leaned up against the wall. Her hand lifted and rubbed her forehead.

"Who, the Doctor?"

River nodded.

"No he's not. He's not a child."

"He doesn't know who I am."

"So?"

"After years and years with that man, I finally jumped to a time he doesn't know me."

Rixel paused. That statement struck an odd chord in her heart. She'd never thought of that before. What would she say if that ever happened to her? If she popped into the Tardis one day and he didn't know who she was. Oh hell, he'd probably think she was in invading alien and kill her!

* * *

"Auto Destruct in 10 minutes."

The strange man rushed down the hall passed them. River looked up, then back towards the room with the Doctor. She glanced down at Rixel. "Come on, he needs our help."

They ran back into the room just as the suit holding the strange girl collapsed onto the floor.

"Anita!" River cried out.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said. "She's been dead a while now. Go help Lux!"

"Why, what are you doing?" River asked.

The Doctor looked over at her. He opened his mouth to talk, but then he noticed Rixel. His face grew dark. "You need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you." Rixel replied.

"Neither of us are." River said.

"Look, I'm clever, alright? I can hook myself up to the computer and she can borrow my memory space!"

River's eyes widened. "It'll kill you! Stop both your hearts with no hope of regenerating!"

"'ll try hard not to die. Honestly."

"Doctor!" Rixel cried.

"Auto Destruct in 8 minutes."

"Get her out of here!" He yelled back at River.

River looked down at Rixel, then back up at him. She walked over to him and while his back was turn, she smacked him upside the head with the side of her blaster. The Doctor collapsed to the floor.

"No!" Rixel ran forward and dropped onto the ground next to him.

"I'm saving his life." River said. She leaned over him and started typing onto the keyboard. "You trust me, don't you?"

Rixel shuddered. "You knocked him out!"

River sighed. "You stole my vortex manipulator and gave it to the only evil Time Lord left in existence. I think you owe me enough to trust me."

"Time Lord?" Rixel frowned.

River hit her last button on the keyboard with an exaggerated stroke. "Right. Now pull him over here." She tossed Rixel a pair of hand cuffs. "Secure him to this pillar."

Rixel just stared at her. "Time Lord?"

"Auto destruct in 5 minutes."

"Just do it!" River snapped.

Rixel jumped, then hooked her arms under the Doctors. She dragged him across the floor and lifted his arm up on the pillar to the hand cuffs. With a click, he was locked in. "Done."

"Good." River turned and grabbed Rixel by the shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

Rixel bit her lip.

"Rixel, please. Remember the pizza place? And that gorgeous red jacket I bought you? The Pandorica?"

Rixel's eyes widened. "You know about the Pandorica?"

"Oh right. You were older." River frowned. "Never mind. Listen. This is important. No matter what happens, do not touch me, okay?"

"Auto destruct in 4 minutes."

"Why, what's going to happen?" Rixel asked.

"There's no time!" River said. "Just trust me!"

Rixel swallowed, then nodded her head.

"Good." River looked over at the strange chair against the wall. "Because even I don't think I can survive this."

Rixel grabbed River's arm. "Wait. Let me do it."

"What? No!"

"River, we both know I can't die."

"Yes, you can! Don't be silly!" River's face flooded with concern. "Why would you possibly think you couldn't?"

Rixel smirked. "Because I'm Rixel Kirii. Conqueror of the Requiem. And I've got the cure for the Sunstar Virus."

River hesitated. "If you die now, you'll never stop the end of the world."

"I've got the nanogenes and huon energy and who knows what else floating around inside me. I won't die. I promise."

River's eyes flickered over to the Doctor.

"I'm begging you." Rixel said. "Please. You know I'll survive."

River sighed. "Alright. Go. But if you die I'm going back in time to kill you myself!"

Rixel nodded and raced over to the chair. She quickly buckled herself in.

"Auto destruct in 2 minutes."

"Oh, no, no no!" The Doctor groaned. "What are you doing? That's my job!"

"Typing in the bypass feed now, Rix." River said, ignoring the Doctor.

"What?" The Doctor jerked his hand, trying to break free of the handcuffs. "What are you doing! She's a child!"

Rixel pulled the straps on her legs tight.

"This isn't a joke!" The Doctor said, glaring between the two girls. "Stop this! Its going to kill you!"

"I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. It'll set a blip in the command flow." River told Rixel.

"Rixel, don't you dare!" The Doctor yelled out.

Rixel closed her eyes. The Doctor was like family. And River was there for her when she needed her. And she was the Doctor's girlfriend or something. She couldn't let either one of them die, even if it meant she would.

"Auto destruct in 1 minute."

"Rixel!" The Doctor cried.

"It's okay." Rixel said, pulling the final strap on her arms. "I can't die, remember? You said so yourself."

The Doctor jerked against the restraints. "Let me go!"

"There's nothing you can do." Rixel said.

"I can do this!" The Doctor said. "Let me do this! There's still time! You and River can escape!"

"There's only 30 seconds left." River said quietly.

"You think I'd let you just die here and leave me stranded on another planet?" Rixel laughed. "No thanks. One abandonment is enough for me."

"Time can be rewritten." The Doctor replied.

"And yet you say I can't die." Rixel smirked. "You contradict yourself, Doctor."

"River, you know my name!"

"Auto destruct in 10 seconds."

"You whispered my name in my ear. There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name. There's only one time I could..." The Doctor shook his head. "Stop her! If you're that close to me, please, do as I ask!"

"Auto destruct in 5 seconds."

Rixel closed her eyes. Her heart leaped into her throat. She realized just then she didn't know how much she trusted the fact that she couldn't die.

"Rixel," River said. "You better be right."

Rixel heard the spark of electricity, then nothing. No sounds. No pain. Just...nothing.

* * *

Rixel slowly opened one eye. She was standing in a giant green field of grass. Ahead there was a water fountain with koi fish swimming around. Next to her, on either side, stood a man and a little girl.

"It's okay." The little girl said, taking Rixel's hand. "You're safe. You'll always be safe here. The Doctor fixed the data core. This is a good place now."

"Where am I?" Rixel turned around. Behind her was a giant brick building. It reminded her of the houses in the Jane Austin movies.

"You're in the Library." The little girl said.

"Am I dead?"

The girl shook her head. "You're alive. Just here in the Library."

"Oh!" Rixel sighed. "In the computer." She walked over towards the water fountain and stared down at the fish. Well, she'd been banished once before. What's the difference to being locked away in a computer? At least the Doctor was safe. And River. She hugged herself. Oh, how she missed them already.

"I brought you a friend." The little girl said. "Aren't I clever?"

"What?" Rixel turned to look where the girl was pointing. A boy was leaning up against the building. He had dark hair and was impossibly familiar. She took a step towards the boy. "But...how?"

"Files on Luke Rattigan have been stored in the library. Though the data is incomplete, it is sufficient." The girl said.

Rixel took in a deep breath. "You mean, it's really him? Partially, but really?"

She didn't even wait for an answer. Her feet started to run. Luke pushed himself away from the building and walked towards her, his arms open. She crashed into him, hugging him as tightly as she could. Tears formed in her eyes and she buried her face into his shoulder. He had no smell, but the moment she thought it, he did have a smell. He smelled exactly like the Academy. Exactly as she remembered it.

"I thought you were dead." She sobbed.

His hand stroked her back. "I'm here. It's alright."

And now, she thought, she could finally live happily ever after.


	43. river and rixel

**The Library, 51st century**

Luke sat down on the park bench next to Rixel. He handed a churro over to her. "So, is it everything you dreamed it would be?"

Rixel grinned and took the churro. "It's amazing! I never thought Disneyland would be so big! Are you sure this is an exact replica?"

Luke smiled. "Rixel, it's not a replica. Think of more like..."

"A movie set?"

He laughed. "You always did love movies."

She nodded. Disneyland was amazing. Well, this version or set or whatever it was. People milled all around them, but she knew they were only simulations. They weren't real. Of course, technically Luke wasn't either, but she always seemed to bypass that thought. She was just too happy to be here with him. Rixel took in a deep breath. The air smelled like lilacs and turkey. She could hear birds and screams of laughter and the sweet melodic background music. It was perfect.

"You want to ride Pirates of the Caribbean again?" Luke asked.

Rixel nodded. "And Space Mountain."

Luke laughed and got up to his feet. He held his hand out for her. "Come on, then."

As she reached out to grab his hand, the world darkened. At first she though it was going to rain, but it grew so dark that she couldn't even see her own hand anymore. She blinked. There were no sounds, either. No laughter, no music. No smell of lilacs or turkey. Just blackness.

Her heart quickened, but then she felt someone wrap their arms around her. Her face crushed up against someones chest. Whoever it was smelled impossibly like the Doctor. Could the Library really bring in the Doctor? She guessed so. He was famous enough to be written about several times over.

"Doctor?" Her voice muffled against his chest.

He pulled her back with a giant grin but his eyes were slightly reddened. "Rixel. You're safe!"

"Well, yeah." She said, looking around. It almost looked like she was back inside the Library. The real one, not the computer. Odd thing for her to shift to a room like this. "Where's Luke?"

"'Luke?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah. One second we were in Disneyland together. I thought you guys said the data core was fixed? How come I just shifted like that without thinking of it?"

"What?" The Doctor looked over her, then pulled out his sonic screw driver. It buzzed as he ran it over her.

"Oh, come on, you know I'm fine." She brushed it away.

"You're here." The Doctor said. "You're not in the computer anymore. I've got you. You're really here."

Rixel tilted her head. Now that she thought about it, things did feel a little different. There were smells and sounds that happened without her thinking they should. "But...how?"

He lowered his head. "River."

Rixel looked up. They were in the room with the strange chair. The way she teleported herself into the computer to save River and the Doctor. Her eyes widened. "What? No! She couldn't-"

"It's done." The Doctor said. "She...she wouldn't have it any other way."

"You just let her?" Rixel growled. She ran over to the chair. "I have to bring her back."

"She disabled the teleportation control." He said quietly.

"Well, fix it!"

"I can't." He shook his head. "And even if I could, I wouldn't."

"You can't just let her die!" Rixel cried out. Didn't he realize how important River was to him!

"She's not dead. She's just saved."

"No!" Rixel ran over towards the computer. If he wouldn't fix it, she'd figure out how. "You can't just do this! I chose to let her live! You can't change that."

"Rixel, you have to live! You're needed here!"

"No, River is!"

"You don't get to just check out like that!" His voice grew louder. "You can't just leave me!"

She spun around and glared at him. "You left me!"

"It was for your protection!"

"Your idea of protection killed Luke and nearly killed me!" Rixel felt that small urge to cry, but she pushed it back. She was no longer a child, no matter how the Doctor treated her. She was practically an adult! How dare he speak to her like that! Like...like...like he was ordering a kid around. "I chose to save River and you. Believe it or not, you're more important in all of this!"

The Doctor took in several short breaths, then jerked his finger out to the side. "Go back to the Tardis!"

"You are not my father!"

"I was!" He shouted back.

For a moment, they both stared at each other. Rixel had no idea what he meant. No, he wasn't her dad. She knew her dad, Richard, very well and she had his eyes and his disconnected earlobes.

"You...haven't done that yet, have you?" The Doctor looked away, slightly ashamed. His whole body sunk down.

Rixel shuddered. "Please tell me that Megan and Richard Kirii are my real parents..."

His eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, Rixel, of course they are! No, no, sorry. You know what, just forget it. I'm just worried about you is all."

Rixel looked away from him. She was still furious. She wasn't a child anymore, and she didn't like him pretending she was. It wasn't right. "Doctor-"

"Oi! You lot coming up or do I have to send down a rescue crew?"

The Doctor looked up the gravity platform. "Sorry, Donna! On our way."

Rixel shifted uneasily as the gravity platform started to bring them back up. "Who's Donna?"

"You've never met Donna? She was there back at the Academy."

"Oh." Rixel nodded. She was that strange woman with the Doctor. Must be another companion. Man, he ran through those quickly. "Doctor, what ever happened to Rose?"

He didn't respond. He just turned and pretended to fiddle with his sonic screwdriver.

"Doctor-"

"Who's River?" He interrupted.

Rixel paused. "You know. River. Your...something. I don't know. I guess I thought she was your girlfriend or something."

He sighed.

"You said she knew your name." Rixel said.

"Don't."

"What's your name?"

"Rixel, don't."

"I only think it's fair." She shrugged lightly. "You kinda owe me."

The gravity platform clicked into place. In front of them stood a very impatient Donna with her arms folded. "Took ya long enough. Where's River?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"What?" Donna looked down at Rixel as he walked away. "What happened?"

"River switched places with me in the computer." Rixel said.

"Oh." Donna frowned. "I though he was just going to pull you out."

Rixel sighed. She almost wished he hadn't. Even if it didn't cost River her life. She was happy there. Yes, it wasn't real, but she had Luke. And she finally got to go to Disneyland. And she was happy. Doesn't that mean anything? "I guess not."

Donna frowned. "Oh, come on, then. Let's get you back to the Tardis and have a nice cup of tea. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Rixel nodded and allowed herself to be taken off with the woman. They walked through the crowd and back towards the Tardis in silence. Rixel was glad. She didn't really know Donna, but even more than that, she was too upset to care. Losing Luke once was hard enough, but twice? And now River, too. It just wasn't fair.

* * *

Donna placed a mug of tea down in front of her and sat down in the chair across the table. "So, you're Rixel Kirii."

She nodded. "Sorry. I know we met before, I just wasn't thinking then."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Donna waved her hand in the air. "Besides, you had a lot on your mind. Probably do now, as well."

Rixel nodded. She reached forward to grab her cup when her locket started to burn. Oh, blimey, did it really always hurt this bad? It practically knocked the wind out of her!

"Are you alright?" Donna asked.

Rixel nodded. "Just, you know, jumping."

"Like you did last time?"

Though she had no idea what Donna meant, Rixel nodded. "Tell him I'm sorry?"

"Sorry?" Donna rolled her eyes. "He's the one that should be sorry!"

Rixel smirked and the pain overtook her.


	44. Pennsylvania

**Tardis**

"Did they see you!"

"I don't know!"

"Did they see you?"

"I don't know! I was busy running!"

"Martha, it's important. Did they see your face?"

"No, they couldn't have."

Rixel rubbed her head with a groan. Great. Where was she now? Or, rather, when was she? She couldn't believe jumping around like this hurt so much. No wonder she cried as a little girl. How did she ever get used to this?

"Rixel!" Martha breathed out.

"Yeah." She grumbled in reply.

"Oh, what horrible timing you've got." The Doctor muttered.

Rixel looked around to find she was sitting up against the wall. The Doctor was furiously running around the control panel while Martha stared at her, mouth gaping open.

"You...your so much older!" Martha said.

Rixel thought about it for a moment. It had been a while since she'd last seen Martha. Well, Martha with the Doctor. Of course, it had been awhile since she really saw anyone before that whole Sontarian thing. But Martha had been there. She knew she grew up. Wow, this must be before that! That reminded her. "Doctor, we have to talk."

"Not now, Rixel!" The Doctor was racing around in a panic, much worse than she'd ever seen him before.

"What's wrong?" Rixel asked Martha.

"I dunno. We were being chased and then he asked if they saw me. But we're safe now, right Doctor? We're in the Tardis. They can't get us."

"Ahh! They're following us!" The Doctor gripped his hair with both hands.

"How can they do that?" Rixel asked. "We're in a time machine."

"Stolen technology. They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us anywhere, right across the universe." The Doctor spun around, looking at Rixel. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Martha asked.

Her question snapped him back to reality. He walked over towards her and grabbed her shoulders. "Martha, you trust me, don't you?"

"Of course." She replied. Martha looked confused.

"It all depends on you two." He raced back to the controls again, flipping switches like crazy. He reached under the control panel, then pulled out something. He grabbed Rixel's hand and pulled her over towards Martha. With the most serious face she'd ever seen on him, the Doctor spoke. A silver pocket watch dangled from his fingers. "This watch, girls. This is me. Everything I am. Understand?"

"No?" Rixel blinked.

"They can hunt us down to the end of the universe. They can smell me. They need me in order to live. So we have to hide."

"Okay." Martha said, nodding slightly.

"I have to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord." The Doctor said. His eyes darted between the two of them.

"You can't do that." Rixel snorted. Part of her wanted to laugh, but the Doctor looked so serious. Deathly serious.

"This watch will hold my Time Lord self." He said, thrusting it into Martha's hands. "I'm going to become human."

"But-" Martha started.

"It'll change every cell in my body. I'll literally become human." The Doctor interrupted.

"Won't that hurt?" Rixel asked.

He looked over at her. His eyes were wide. "Oh yeah."

* * *

The Doctor yelled and groaned in pain as the two girls carried him out of the Tardis.

"We need to go faster!" Martha said. She glanced over her shoulder back at the barn they'd hidden the Tardis in.

"I'm trying!" Rixel grumbled as she shifted the Doctor's shoulder. He was much heavier than he looked.

He yelled out in pain as she shuffled him.

"Be careful!" Martha shouted at her.

"He's three times my size!" Rixel argued.

They carried him over towards the water banks and gently laid him down on a bench. Martha ran down to get him some water while Rixel stay behind. She brushed his hair back from his face. He looked horrible. His eyes were clenched closed and his mouth seemed to be stuck in a twisted o.

"It'll be alright." She told him softly. "Martha's gone to get some water. You're safe now. We're outside. It'll be alright."

Martha ran back up to them, holding a bucket full of water.

"Where'd you get the bucket?" Rixel asked.

Martha shrugged. She ripped part of her shirt off to make a small rag and dunked it into the water. "There's a whole bunch of them down there. Lots of old stuff. Washers and things." She took the rag and placed it on the Doctors forehead.

"You just stole it?"

"He's dieing, Rixel!" Martha snapped back.

"No he's not." Rixel shook her head. "You heard him. He's just...changing."

"You can't change every cell in your body."

"He can."

They both sat there in silence. Slowly, the Doctor relaxed. Martha kept adding fresh water to the rag and wiping off his face. At first his body started to slack, but his face was still contorted. Neither one of them knew what to do. He hadn't really had time to give them instructions. All he said was that the Tardis would give him a story and they'd have to go along with it.

"Where are we, anyway?" Rixel asked, looking around. The sky was brilliantly blue and the grass was far too lush. The river below them moved swiftly, but there were no giant buildings around. Couldn't be London.

"I don't know." Martha shrugged. "More importantly, when are we?"

Rixel looked down at the Doctor. His face was slowly starting to relax. She sighed. "I think he's sleeping."

"Good. He needs rest. But we should find someplace to stay for the night." Martha suggested.

There was an unpaved road a bit further down the river. Rixel pointed towards it. "Maybe it'll go to a town."

"We can't carry him into town." Martha frowned. "Maybe I should go run ahead and see what I can find. Will you be okay here with him?"

"You're the medical doctor!" Rixel argued. "You should stay with him! What if he wakes up and is sick or something?"

"You honestly think you wouldn't know what to do more than me?" Martha placed a hand on her hip.

Rixel did, but she didn't want to sound condescending. After all, Martha went to school to be a doctor. Rixel, well, she just knew science. It wasn't exactly the same thing, but she did cure the world ending Sunstar virus. Or she would. "Alright."

"Besides, he'll want to see you when he wakes up anyway." Martha winked at her and ran off towards the path.

* * *

It didn't take long for him to wake up. The sun was starting to get low, but night was still several hours off. Rixel was sitting on the grass next to the bench, picking grass. It reminded her of Rose. For all she dreamed of the woman, would she ever see her again?

"Rixel?"

The red headed girl turned and smiled as the Doctor's head turned towards her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

He nodded slowly and sat up. His hand cradled the side of his head.

Rixel hesitated. He said his memory would be different, but he knew her name. That was a good thing, right? It had to be. "Are you hurt?"

He groaned as he reached his arms out in front of him in a stretch. "No. I think everything is still in tact. What happened? Did I fall off the boat?"

Rixel blinked. "The boat?"

"Yes, the boat. From London." He furrowed his brow at her. "And why is your accent different? Are you trying to adjust to the area?"

Rixel cleared her throat. In his memory she was British? That was odd. She quickly put on the best accent she could muster. Living in London all those years definitely helped. "Sorry. I wasn't sure if I should or not?"

He stared at her, a little shocked. "'Wasn't'? I thought I taught you better than to slur your words."

"'Taught me?" Rixel snickered. That was the last thing she expect to hear from him.

"And what are you wearing?" His eyes drifted down to her plain jeans and tee-shirt. "What happened to your nice Sunday dress?"

Oh boy. This was awkward. "Right. Um, Martha ran into town. Maybe we should go see if we can find her."

He frowned. "No daughter of mine is going into town dressed like that. We will wait for her to return."

Rixel nearly chocked. "Excuse me?"

He glanced down at her and straightened his jacket. "We shall wait here for Miss Martha to return. Then she will go fetch you some decent clothing."

Rixel just stared at him. "Y-You're my father?"

"Of course I am!" He frowned slightly. "What has gotten into you?"

Rixel burst out into laughter.

* * *

**two months & three weeks later**

"Time to get up!" Martha pulled opened the curtains, letting in the morning sunlight.

Rixel rolled over and threw the covers over her head. "I don't want to!"

"Tough." Martha walked over and yanked the covers off the bed.

Rixel shuddered and curled up, trying to retain the warmth of her bed. "Not fair!"

"You're right. It's not fair that you get to run off to school and be with the Doctor all day while I have to stay here and clean this stupid house."

Rixel sighed and turned her head over towards Martha. "That's mean."

Martha smiled. "Maybe."

Rixel stretched her legs out and yawned. "I don't want to go to school. Can't I call in sick or something?"

"Yeah. It's 1887. Let me just called up the school on my cell phone. They can just email over your homework." Martha rolled her eyes. "Come on, get up."

Rixel rolled off the edge of the bed and stumbled over towards her dresser. "How is he this morning?"

Martha didn't need to be told who. She sighed. "He dreamed about the Doctor again last night."

"Yeah?" Rixel looked over at her. "That's good, right?"

"He still thinks it's just a dream. He dismisses everything."

"Three months." Rixel pushed closed the drawer and she threw her clothes over her arm. "It's gotta be any day now."

"Just about, yeah." Martha replied. She paused for a moment, then stood up. "Right, well, I'll let you get changed. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'll make it." Rixel waved her off. "Don't even think about it."

"You know he'll get mad if he thinks I'm not helping you." Martha raised an eyebrow.

"Let him. I'm going to have quite a few choice words for him when he changes back." Rixel shook her head. "His daughter. What was he thinking?"

Martha laughed. "Better than his maid, yeah?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Rixel rolled her eyes and headed over towards the changing wall. "He better change back soon. All this dad crap is driving me crazy."

"You and me both!" Martha said as she headed out the door.


	45. the family

**Pennsylvania, 1887**

Rixel sighed as she sat down in the chair behind her desk. School here wasn't the same. The Academy had been very privileged and well, very modern. This was dull and boring and all they ever did was lecture. Nothing was hands on. It was terribly boring. What made it worse, however, was her so-called father teaching history.

"Morning, Rixel." A pale boy with dark wavy hair sat down in the desk next to her.

She smiled at him, putting on that horrible fake British accent. She had no idea why anyone believed it. "Hey Alistair."

"You get your homework done?" He asked.

She nodded. "Not that he would let me forget." He nudged her thumb towards the front of the room, where the Doctor's – no, not the Doctor's. Just John Smith's – desk was.

Alistair smiled. "Yes. Of course."

She pulled out her history book and quickly flipped to the end. It was so strange to see it just stop before the turn of the century. So much was yet to happen. Since mainly her only knowledge of history was science or from movies, pre-turn of the 20th century wasn't something she was very familiar with.

"Do you think we will have more tonight?" Alistair asked.

"Hm?" Rixel glanced back over at him. "Homework? Oh I'm sure. He's a stickler about it."

He smiled lightly. "Maybe we could work on it together?"

"Yeah, sure."

"In the gardens?"

Rixel paused. "In the gardens?"

He nodded slowly.

Alistair was nice. She's liked him the moment she met him. And he was smart, too, which helped in this crazy time. He always went out of his way to help others and even managed to find a few chemistry books for her when she mentioned it in passing one day. She liked him, but she didn't like him in that way. To her, he was going to be gone in a few weeks. She smiled weakly. She didn't want to be mean to him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alistair. Tonight I-"

"She would be delighted."

Rixel and Alistair turned to see John Smith standing over them. Rixel's face grew red from anger.

"Oh, s-sorry Professor!" Alistair stuttered.

"Quite alright." He nodded to himself. "I was wondering when you would finally ask her."

"Time for class to start, father." Rixel hissed through her teeth. She was going to kill him.

He smiled down at her, then strutted towards the front of the room.

* * *

"It is simply a date." John replied coolly. "Not a death sentence."

"I don't like him!" Rixel growled back.

He paced the classroom floor behind the desk. The rest of the class had been dismissed, leaving them to bicker in private. "It is only natural that boys will be interested in you."

"I'm only fourteen!" Rixel laughed. "You're my dad! Aren't you suppose to be scaring away boys? Seriously! This is insane!"

"What is insane is you!" He snapped back. "You have completely changed! You are impolite and even your speech is different. What happened to you?"

Rixel growled in frustration. "Stop trying to act like an over-bearing father!"

He sighed and sat down in his chair. His fingers rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was hard not to see him as the Doctor. He looked identical, and sometimes his motions were just so perfect. Rixel relaxed a little. "I am only trying to do what is best for you." He said quietly. "Ever since your mother died..."

Rixel froze. He'd only mentioned her fake mother once. It was in another fight just after they arrived. She'd managed to figure out she died from some sort of disease, but she didn't know what or how long ago. The way he seemed so sad, she doubted it was long ago.

"I just don't know what to do." He said.

Rixel walked over behind his chair and put her arms on his shoulders. "I know. But we'll figure it out soon. I promise."

"It's been three months since we arrived." He pointed about. "I thought everything would change when we came here, but apparently I was wrong."

"Two months and three weeks." Rixel smirked.

"Sorry?"

"We're shy three months by a week. Let's just see what happens then, aright?"

He sighed. "I don't know what I would do without you, Rixel."

She put her head down on top of his. "I know." She'd scream at him later. Right now, John Smith just needed his daughter.

* * *

Alistair was at her door promptly at 8. Rixel shifted uneasily in her ruffled dress. It was pretty, but she just felt completely overdressed. She didn't want Alistair to think this was a date. It wasn't, but Martha and her so-called father insisted it was. Hense the dress Martha forced her to wear.

All she could do was wish he was Luke. But that would never happen.

Martha quickly shuffled Alistair into the sitting room where she'd set up a table with chairs for them to do their homework on. Luckily it was raining so they couldn't be out in the gardens. Rixel stood by the mantel and fiddled the pocket watch around in her hand. Sometimes when she did so, she swore she could hear the Doctor's voice. She had him back for all of two days, and then she lost him again. Would it always be like this? She missed the Doctor. John Smith was a horrible replacement.

Alistair sniffed loudly to gain her attention. Rixel forced a smile and put the pocket watch back on the mantle.

"What is that?" Alistair asked.

Rixel shrugged. "Just a pocket watch."

"Can I see it?"

She frowned. "It's not mine. It belongs to my father."

"You just seemed so interested in it I thought-"

"Don't." Rixel snapped. It came out much harsher than she intended and Alistair flinched. Rixel took in a deep breath. "Sorry. It was a memory of my mothers. I don't like others touching it."

"Of course." He nodded and sat down at the table. "Might I ask...you have never spoken of your mother."

Rixel shrugged. "She died. It's not a topic I feel comfortable discussing." Ug, she hated trying to talk like a 19th century British girl. It felt far too formal.

Alistair sniffed again.

Rixel sighed. "Listen, Alistair. I know you think that this thing between us is going to work, but it's not. I haven't told you yet, but I'm leaving soon."

"Why?"

"Its...complicated." Rixel said. She put her hands on top of her books. "My father will be moving and I will be going with him."

"Where?"

"Oh, all sorts of places." Rixel smiled to herself. "Like I said, it's complicated."

"You mentioned seeing the stars once before."

"Yeah." Rixel looked down at her hands.

"Tell me. Tell me now."

She looked up at him. Alistair was a sweet boy. A clever boy. He wasn't demanding or short with her. Ever. Something was wrong. "I...Alistair? Would you, um, like to go over our homework?"

He nodded. "Yes, thanks."

"Should we start with World War II and finish up with the history of Penicillin?" Rixel swallowed as she mentioned the future events. It was a bold move, sure, but she didn't know what else to ask.

"Sounds lovely." He smiled back at her.

"Right." Rixel slowly got up to her feet. "I just...left my book upstairs. I'll be right back." She walked slowly towards the door, keeping her eyes on Alistair the whole time. She slipped out of the room and walked carefully towards the kitchen.

"Everything going alright?" Martha asked with a grin. She looked up at the girl and frowned. "Rixel! You're pale as a ghost!"

"They...they've found us!" Rixel wasn't sure how she managed to get the words out.

"What?"

"They...it's Alistair! He ...he was normal before, but now he's not." Rixel grabbed her head. "Oh! I've left him alone with the watch!"

Martha's eyes widened. "Well, go get it!"

"I can't go back in there!" Rixel hissed. "What if he attacks me?"

"Better that than him getting the watch!" Martha looked towards the back door. "John's still at the school. Grab the watch and I'll meet you with him back at the Tardis."

Rixel bit her lip.

"Go!" Martha pushed her.

"I'm scared!" Rixel confessed.

Martha grabbed her shoulders. "I know, but we have to do this! Under no circumstances can they get that watch!"

Rixel slipped back into the room and instantly glued her eyes on Alistair. As she'd feared, he was standing over by the mantle. He didn't have the watch, but he seemed to be sniffing.

"So!" Rixel clapped her hands together. She prayed her voice didn't sound as shaky as she felt. "Alistair. Listen, I do apologize. I must confess, I um, seem to get a bit flustered in your presence."

"You do?" His head turned towards her, but she noticed it seemed strange. Like his neck was disjointed somehow. Was it like that before?

"Y-yes." She walked slowly over towards the table and placed her hand on it. "You see, I've fancied you for some time now." She needed to draw him away from the watch.

He turned his body towards her, but didn't walk forward. "You have?"

"Oh, yes." Rixel forced a smile. "And I know that you have a bit of a crush on me."

"I thought you said you were leaving."

"I, I did say that. But," she paused for a second, thinking. "But I only said that to deter you. I'm afraid how how much I like you, you see."

His head tilted to the side and he took in a loud breath through his nose.

Rixel took in her own breath and walked over towards him. She placed her hand casually on the mantel and stepped up close to him. Oh how her knees wobbled. Please oh please don't notice.

"Do you...like me, Alistair?"

His eyes narrowed for a second. She realized he wasn't the same person at all anymore. Anything that used to be Alistair was completely gone from his features. There'd be no playing into his feelings now. She had to grab the watch and run.

Her fingers clasped around the watch and she slowly started to bring it down to her pocket when Alistair reached out and snatched her wrist.

"Ow!" Rixel called out. "Alistair, you're hurting me!"

"You smell human, but there's more to it." He sniffed at her hair, causing her to shudder. "I can smell Time Lord."

"T-time what?" She shuddered. She tried to take a step back, but he held onto her. "I-I-I don't know what you mean."

He sniffed her again. His voice grew loud, shouting. "Maybe you're not the Time Lord, but you know where he is. Where is the Doctor?"

"Alistair!" Rixel looked down at her wrist. He was surprisingly strong.

"Where is he? Where is the Doctor!"

"I-I don't know what you mean!" She cried out in pain as he turned her wrist, bending is backward just enough to send a shockwave through her arm. "Alistair, please!"

"What's wrong, son-of-mine?"

The two teens turned towards the doorway to find a portly man with a handlebar mustache. He held a long cane in his hand.

"This girl know where the Time Lord is." Alistair grinned.

"Really now?" The man chuckled to himself. "Then bring her outside. Let's call the Doctor out of hiding!"

"No, stop!" Rixel shouted as Alistair dragged her towards the door. The watch still hung from her hands, but she couldn't do anything with it. Not now or they'd notice. All she could do was carry it with her.


	46. chasing down the doctor

**Pennsylvania, 1887**

"Doctor!" Alistair called out for the millionth time.

Rixel groaned. "Obviously he can't hear you."

Alistair looked down at her. Her hands were tied behind her back and he gripped her arm strongly. Behind her stood a group of people that were no longer the humans they used to be. Instead they called each other strange family names. None of the seemed to move like they should. And all of them wanted the Doctor.

"Don't worry, son-of-mine." The portly fellow said. "He'll come out soon enough. We've got his daughter."

Rixel pulled against the rope on her arms, but by now it was making her wrists raw. She bit her lip. Dammit, where was Martha?

The fob watch almost seemed to burn in her pocket. She managed to slip it in there when they were taking her, but she knew it was dangerous to have with her. If they got a hold of it, the Doctor would be in great danger. Luckily, as far as they were concerned, the fob wasn't important. She didn't know how long that would last. Alistair kept sniffing her. Creepy.

"Doctor!" Alistair called out once more.

"Oh, give it up already!" Rixel groaned.

"Quiet, girl!" Alistair said.

Rixel sighed. This was getting them no where. She was about to open her mouth to complain some more when she saw Martha step out into the open path in front of them. Yes! Now they were going to pay!

"Looking for me?" Martha grinned.

"Go away maid!" The portly fellow grumbled. "We need the Time Lord!"

"Yeah." Martha rolled her eyes, then beckoned them towards her. "I know where he is."

"You do not!" Alistair shouted.

Martha's smile widened. "Really? Then how did I get this?" She pulled out the sonic screwdriver from behind her back.

Rixel gasped. What the hell was she doing!

Alistair sniffed. "It's faint."

"I smell the Time Lord!" The portly fellow chucked. "She's got his technology! We must have the Doctor!"

Martha jumped back as they started to walk towards her. "Hey, hey! You have to let her go first! That's my condition. I'll take you to him, but Rixel goes free!"

Alistair laughed. "Or else what?"

Martha pointed the sonic screwdriver at the small gas streetlight and pushed the button. It buzzed, sending the flame into a small frenzy. A simple trick, Rixel knew, but the family seemed shocked by it.

Alistair frowned, then went back over to Rixel and untied her. "There!"

Martha grinned. "Better come catch me!" She spun on her toes and ran.

Rixel wasn't a villain, but she knew that any real decent villain would just tie her back up again. Surely they wouldn't be fooled by Martha's trick. But sure enough, the family all bolted after her, running down the path. The red-headed girl shook her head, laughing to herself. Morons.

She stood up and brushed herself off. Her wrists were incredibly sore. She frowned. Ok, but... now what? She bit her lip. Martha said John was at the school. She figured that was the best place to start.

* * *

"Hello?" Rixel called out. The school was dark and seemingly empty. She started to panic that maybe Martha had been wrong when she noticed a small light coming from John's classroom. She tiptoed down the hall and peered into the room.

John sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He was staring down at a book on his desk, looking rather distraught. Rixel stepped into the room and cleared her throat. His head popped up rather quickly.

"Rixel!" He glanced around the room, then placed his hand over the book to hide it. "What-what are you doing here?"

"We need to get out of here!" Rixel ran over towards him and grabbed his arm. She tugged, but he didn't move. "Quickly, please. There's no time! Martha's got them distracted, but it won't last long!"

He shook his head. "Martha... that woman is bad news. Stay away from her, do you understand me?"

"Are you stupid or something?" Rixel snapped without thinking.

His eyes widened, but she spoke up again before he could scold her.

"They're out there looking to kill you and she's trying to save your life!" Rixel pointed towards the door. "We have to get you out of here now before they find you!"

He frowned and stood up. Though she was older, he was still very much taller than her. She felt intimidated as he looked down at her. "Now see here! I have no idea what game you two are playing, but it ends now! Do you understand me?"

Rixel chomped her mouth shut and let out a muffled scream. She reached forward and grabbed him by the arms. "If you don't leave now, you'll die!"

His eyes narrowed down at her. "Now Martha might have misunderstood my dream journal for reality, but that's no excuse for you to play along. Rixel, you will behave yourself this instance!"

Rixel stomped her foot on the ground. She wanted to scream at him and smack him right across the face. Why was the Doctor always so damn stubborn? And why did he have to transfer that over to him!?

Footsteps raced down the hall and a moment later Martha appeared in the doorway, panting heavily. "They're right behind me! Go!"

Rixel spun around. "He won't listen!"

She frowned. "He didn't me, either. I figured he might you."

There was a clatter down the hall and Martha leaned back. "Hurry! Get out of here!" She pushed herself back and started to run off again.

"Martha!" Rixel stepped forward, but John grabbed her shoulder.

"Rixel, you are staying here with me and explaining what is going on!"

Rixel turned around and glared at him. She said the only thing she could think of at the moment. "I hate you!"

John blinked and let go of her. He took a step backwards, shocked. There wasn't time to argue or apologize. Rixel ran out the door after Martha.

If the Doctor wasn't going to save himself, then it was up to them two.

* * *

Outside she couldn't see Martha anywhere. She ran out towards the main road and glanced up and down, but there wasn't anyone around. Just as she turned back towards the school, she heard Martha scream from far down the road. Rixel took off towards the sound.

The road had a small bush that ran alongside it. Rixel dived down behind it and scrambled towards the small opening as she got closer to the sound of Martha.

"Let me go!" Martha screamed.

"Where is the Doctor?" Alistair shouted.

Rixel knelt forward, peeking through the bush. The portly one held Martha with her head tilted back while Alistair pointed a strange sort of gun at her throat.

"He's not here!" Martha yelled.

"Liar!" Alistair shouted.

"Rixel!"

Rixel snapped her head up and looked back up the road. All the blood drained out of her face as she saw John Smith marching towards her.

"How dare you walk out on me like that!" He shouted.

Rixel panicked. She looked back through the bush to see that the family had heard him as well. Oh crap. There was nothing she could do. Already they were starting to slowly let Martha down. Martha glanced down at Alistair's hand, eying the gun. Rixel thought the woman might be able to grab it if she had a large enough distraction. Apparently John wasn't enough. She glanced between Martha and John Smith. Either they killed Martha or him, and she couldn't let either happen.

"Get back over here, young lady!" John yelled as he raced towards her.

Rixel closed her eyes, just for a moment. She felt the fob watch in her pocket. Oh bloody hell this was going to suck. She opened her eyes and jumped up to her feet.

"I'm the Doctor!" She screamed out.


	47. john smith

**Pennsylvania, 1887**

"What?" Alistair glared at her.

Rixel twitched carefully. John was almost there. She didn't have much time. "I'm the Doctor. Can't you smell it on me?"

The portly man sniffed. "You're human!"

"But wait." Alistair said. He put his hand out to the side, leaving the gun in the perfect position for Martha to grab it. "Can't you smell it? It's there. Just slightly."

John slowed to a stop next to Rixel. He bent over to pant, but almost seemed surprised that he wasn't worn out by the run. "Rixel!"

"She's turned herself human!" The portly fellow laughed.

Martha reached out and snatched the gun away from Alistair. She jumped back, pointing it towards them. "Stay back!"

"Martha!" John exclaimed as he finally noticed what was going on.

"You're not going to shoot us, girl!" Alistair laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Martha shrugged. "Try me."

Alistair took a step forward, but the portly fellow stopped him. "Wait, son-of-mine. This game is foolish. If she is the Time Lord, she's changed into a human and that's no good for us."

Alistair frowned. "Change back, then!"

Rixel scoffed. "Yeah, okay, like I'm going to do that."

He took a step towards her, but Martha pointed the gun at him.

"Martha! Why do you have a gun?" John Smith shouted.

"Come, son-of-mine," the portly fellow said. "We have ways of convincing her."

John, Rixel and Martha watched carefully as the Family retreated away. Rixel knew she should be happy. She knew that the Doctor was safe, but something didn't seem right. After the Family was out of sight, Martha came running over to them.

"Are you alright?" She gasped.

"Martha, what are you doing?" John snapped. "You have a gun!"

Martha looked down at the gun and shrugged. "Came in handy, yeah?"

"We need to get out of here." Rixel said. "They're planning something."

"Should we go to the Tardis?" Martha asked.

"What?" John interrupted.

The girls ignored him. Rixel shook her head. "No, it's took risky. If they really can track it, we'd just be wasting our time. And without the Doctor we can't really fly it." She didn't think now was the time to test her possible thoughts of being able to maybe fly it on her own. Not while they were in danger.

"The Doctor?" John asked.

"Well, then open it up!" Martha gestured towards Rixel. "Open the watch!"

Rixel shook her head. "Too dangerous. At least if they think it's me he will-"

"Will you two please start making sense!" John yelled out.

They two girls looked over at him and blinked. Neither one knew exactly what to say. Rixel took in a deep breath, but there were no words that came to mind.

"You're the Doctor." Martha spoke up.

"What?" He replied.

Rixel nodded. "The man from your dreams. It's... he's real."

He sighed. "Rixel, this is no time for games-"

"It's not a game!" Martha cried out. "It's real and they're here to kill you and we need the Doctor back!"

He frowned and looked down at Rixel. "Surely you don't think-"

In the middle of his sentence a bright light flashed up in the sky above them. The light trailed down and over towards the valley, falling to the ground with an Earth shattering explosion. A moment later, another explosion occurred near the same area.

"They're bombing the valley!" Martha gasped.

"How far to the village from there?" Rixel stood on her toes and looked back towards the town. It seemed like a ways away, but she couldn't be sure.

"I don't know." Martha shook her head.

"What is going on?" John yelled out.

Rixel looked up at him. She grabbed his arm, then looked over at Martha. "Martha, go see if you can find out where they are. I'm going to take him inside and get him to open the watch."

Martha nodded and took off towards the explosions. That left Rixel and John alone. She started to pull him towards the house.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" John demanded.

Rixel sighed. "Relax, dad. We're going to fix everything."

* * *

"This," Rixel held the watch up between them. "Is your Time Lord self. It's who you really are."

John sat next to her, shaking his head. The curtains were pulled shut, but they could still hear the bombing outside. She was starting to worry she wouldn't be able to convince him before the entire town was leveled.

She slammed the watch down on the table and growled. "People are dying! Deep down you know this is true and you know you have to go stop it!"

"I'm not this-this man!" John leaned back in his chair, edging away from the watch. "Why are you doing this? Rixel, you're my daughter! You know me better than anyone else alive."

"Which is why you have to believe me!" Rixel grabbed his hand and forced the watch into it. "Can't you hear it! Can't you hear it calling out to you?!"

His eyes widened slightly, then he tossed it onto the table. "How did you do that?"

Rixel dropped her head and sighed. This was going nowhere. The family might not kill the Doctor right away, but if they destroyed the whole town it wouldn't be long before they found them again. And then what? She reached forward and took his hands in hers. He flinched for a moment, but soon relaxed.

"Look, I know you're scared." She said quietly. "I'm scared, too. And honestly, it all makes sense now, really. You sending me back to Earth and all. I can't imagine how hard all of this is for you, every single day. So much is asked of you and you never get anything in return."

"Rixel, I'm not asking for anything. I just want my family to be happy."

"That's it, though." She smiled weakly. "I'm not your family. I never have been. I'm not your daughter."

He straightened up. "Of course you are! I was there the day you were born!"

"No, you weren't." She shook her head. "I was born in a secret lab in France. I didn't even meet you till I was six. And then you kidnapped me."

"Why would you-"

Rixel help a hand up, stopping him. "Just, listen, okay?" She paused for a moment, but he didn't speak up again. "Now, the Doctor is amazing. I mean, wonderful. He's everything to me and the world needs him. It's not fair, but he's the only help we have right now. I need him. Can you honestly look me in the eye and let that entire town just die?"

He looked directly back at her. "Yes."

"What?" She gasped.

"If the alternative is losing my daughter-"

Rixel tossed aside his hands and jumped up to her feet. "I'm not your daughter!" She turned and walked over towards the window. "Look at my hair color, and my jaw line. My ears and everything about me is nothing like you!"

His eyes fell to the table onto the watch.

"You know I'm not lying." Rixel said. She couldn't see out through the curtain, but she could see flashes of light. The bombing was getting far too close.

"No." He said quietly. "You're not."

She turned around and folded her arms across her chest. "So you believe me then?"

His hand reached out towards the watch, but he didn't touch it. "I... I think I always did."

"Then you'll change back?" Rixel asked, a bit surprised.

"No." He lifted his head back up to look at her.

"Doctor!"

"That's not who I am." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "I'm your father. That's who I want to be."

"You don't get to chose who you are in life!" Rixel snapped back.

"No, but you chose the path that makes up who you are." He got up to his feet and crossed the floor to her. "Don't you understand? Maybe this Doctor, maybe he wanted all this to happen. Maybe I'm suppose to be here and you are suppose to be my daughter. Maybe it's the best thing. Here you're safe."

Rixel laughed. "I'm not safe! They're bombing the valley and soon they'll bomb the village!" She reached over and yanked open the curtain. The sky was dark, but the air above the town had an eerie orange glow.

John stared out the window.

"They'll all die." She said quietly. "Just like you'll die and I'll die unless you bring the Doctor back."

He took in a slow breath. The sky illuminated in a flash of light as another bomb fell to the ground. "Why can't I be the one to save you?"

Rixel reached over and took his hand in hers. "You do save me. All the time."

"No, not him. Me. I want to be the one you look up to. I want to be the savior you praise and love so much. Why can't you just be happy with me?"

Rixel stared up at him. It took her a moment to fully process what he was saying. She supposed he was right in a way. She respected the Doctor very much, and with John? Not so much. She thought John was a poor excuse for the Doctor, but now that she looked at it through his eyes, things made more sense. To him, he was just trying to keep his daughter safe and happy. A daughter that didn't even want him. A twinge of guilt hit her and she squeezed his hand. She wanted to tell him it was okay, that he could stay her father and they'd work something out. Truth was, that was never an option.

Though, for the first time since she was a little girl, she had a father. That...well, that was something. Why didn't she realize it before? She just wasted these past three months, wanting him to turn back. And now that he was about to leave, there was so much more she wanted from him. She needed a parent. It had been far too long. She bit her lip and looked away.

"This Doctor, does he...is he good to you? Do you trust him? Running around space with a girl as young as you doesn't seem very responsible." John said quietly.

Rixel turned towards him and wrapped her arms around him. For the first time, she loved the fact that he was worried over her well-being. She didn't want him to go anymore. She wanted to keep him all to herself. It wasn't fair. Why would the Doctor make this version of himself with the intention of taking it all away from her?

She leaned back and sighed. There was another explosion off in the distance. "If you stay, you'll only be killed by them. As will I."

"And if I change into this Doctor and take you to another planet, you could just as easily die there." His eyes shimmered as he looked down at her.

Rixel closed her eyes. "But that will be my choice. This is yours."

He flinched, then took a step away from her. She realized it sounded more harsh than it needed to be, but she needed him to change back and soon. She didn't know how much longer she could take before she told him to stay with her as John. It was a good thing he wasn't the bow-tie Doctor. Well, bow-tie human Doctor. She'd never let him go.

"Okay." His voice was soft and dry. He nodded lightly, then walked over towards the table. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out and took the watch, looking over it with a sense of hatred.

"Wait." Rixel ran over towards him and hugged him again. "I love you."

He stroked her hair, hugging her tightly. "I love you, too."

"No, I mean it. John Smith, my ...my father. I love you."

He smiled slightly. "Oh, Rixel. You're everything to me. My whole world." He released her, then knelt down to meet her eyes. "I'm so proud of you. Never forget that. I love you so much and I am very, very proud of you."

She couldn't help but smirk. "And I haven't even saved the world yet."

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before rising to his feet. He sighed heavily and looked down at the watch in his hands. "Goodbye, Rixel."

She froze. Her body was torn between looking away and running towards him. All she could do was watch as he clicked open the watch and released a stream of gold.


	48. goodbye

**Pennsylvania, 1887**

Martha paced nervously in front of the Tardis in the hidden barn. Rixel watched as the woman walked back and forth, fiddling her hands together. She wanted to join her, to focus her worry and fears through simple motions, but Rixel was too upset to move. She leaned up against the wall and struggled against crying.

The thing was, she loved the Doctor. He was the one constant in her life. Well, nearly constant. He'd shown her the universe and taught her so many amazing things. But John...well, he was a father that she didn't have anymore. That she couldn't have anymore. The Doctor took her away from her real father, and now he was taking away John from her. She should hate him.

"You think we should go check?" Martha paused for a moment.

Rixel shook her head.

"But, what if he's hurt or-"

"I'm fine, Martha."

The girls looked up to see the Doctor standing in the barn doorway. His hands were shoved down in his pockets.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Martha ran over to him and gave him a hug.

He hugged her back, patting her head. "It's all taken care of. Off we go!"

Martha smacked him in the shoulder. "That's for making me your servant."

"Ow!" He frowned, rubbing his arm.

Martha turned to look over at Rixel, then back at the Doctor. "I'll, um, go make sure the Tardis is all ready." She hurried into the Tardis, leaving Rixel and the Doctor alone in the barn.

She didn't look up at him. Not at first. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there, awkwardly thinking about what to say. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him to go away and leave her alone. She wanted him to take her everywhere with him. Why was it she got to have the Doctor back when John Smith had to sacrifice everything?

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded. She wasn't, though. None of this was right. He shouldn't be here. She shouldn't even be here.

He shifted. "I uh, I suppose I should apologize-"

"No." Rixel lifted her head to look over at him. "You did what you had to do. It doesn't matter."

He took a step towards her, then stopped himself. "Do you want me to change back?"

"Could you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." He said.

"No." Her eyes glanced back down at the floor. "The universe needs the Doctor."

"It needs you, too."

"I know." She replied. "Save the world, conqueror of the Requiem, blah blah blah."

He took another step towards her. "Don't say that. It's important."

Rixel lifted her head and glared at him. "You were my father."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his head. "I didn't really choose that."

"Do you have idea what that's like?" She choked on the words. She really didn't want to cry, but the lump in her throat was only growing. "Only to realize what it actually meant the moment it was being taken away from me?"

"Oh, hey, it's alright." He crossed over towards her and hugged her. "Don't cry."

She buried her head into his chest. Even as she wrapped her arms around him, it felt different. He was no longer the same man. He wanted to protect her, she knew that from what he would do in his future, but he wasn't the same. He made sacrifices so the universe could exist. John Smith sacrificed himself so that she could live.

"I have to leave." She said with a gasp. The thought hit her so hard she wondered why it took her so long to realize.

He patted her on the back and let go of her. "Alright. Come on." He started to lead her towards the Tardis.

Rixel stopped and shook her head. "No, I...I have to leave you."

"What?" His jaw dropped slightly.

"I...I have to save the world, remember?" Her face twitched as her thoughts came to mind. "I have to go back to my time. Where I should be. I have to fix the Sunstar Virus and stop the Requiem."

"Rixel, that-that's too dangerous." He stuttered. "You can do that any time. We have a time machine! You can wait until you're older and-"

"No." She interrupted. She fixed her eyes on him. "I need to do it now. It's my turn to sacrifice for the world."

He cupped his hands under her cheeks. "You don't have to sacrifice anything."

She turned her head, pulling away from him. "That's not your choice."

"Rixel! I can't just...leave you!"

She laughed. "Oh, Doctor. You've done it before. At least this time I'm asking you. No, I'm begging you. Please. Let me do this."

He stared at her in shock. His eyes searched her face for some hint of a joke, but it wasn't there. She was dead set on this and she wouldn't take no for an answer. "I...you want me to leave you alone, on Earth, in the middle of the end of the world? Ten minutes ago, I would have done anything in the world to protect you-"

"You're not my faux father anymore." She said. Her comment caused him to flinch, but she had to be mean in order to get what she needed. "It's my life. I choose."

He took in a deep breath, then turned towards the Tardis. He took a few steps, then glanced back at her. "Can you give me a few days?"

Rixel bit her lip. If she stayed even one more night in the Tardis she might change her mind. She had to do it now, with John's sacrifice still in her mind. She shook her head.

His shoulders slumped. "I didn't think so."

* * *

Rixel opened the Tardis door and looked out over a field of dirt. It smelled like smoke and gasoline. She frowned as she stepped out into the clouded day. Martha followed out closely behind her, and the Doctor a few steps back.

"Wow." Martha said, looking around. "It looks horrible."

"End of the World." Rixel shrugged, though she was just as surprised. After seeing the Earth in all it's greenery and blue skies, this horrible depressing sight only made it feel more like the end of everything.

Martha looked over at her. "Will you be alright?"

Rixel smiled. "Of course. I've got everything I need, and I'm sure I can find a group of friendly humans easily enough."

Martha hugged her. "Oh, I'm going to miss you!"

"Yeah, remember that one." Rixel hugged her back.

Martha stepped back. "Be safe. And look me up in the future."

"You'd be like, a hundred by now." Rixel rolled her eyes. Not really, but she didn't have the time to go looking for the woman. Especially now that she was really here.

"I'll see you again?"

Rixel nodded. "Of course. You've got a few more adventures with me, I think."

Martha smiled, then headed back into the Tardis.

The Doctor stood a few steps away from Rixel, staring at the ground.

"Oh, don't pout." Rixel grumbled. "It doesn't suit you."

"You're really going to do this?" He asked.

She sighed. "Yeah, I think it's about time."

He lifted his head to look at her. "Why now?"

"Well," Rixel blew a piece of hair away from her face. That was a good question. She wasn't entirely sure. The easy answer was John's sacrifice made her realize that she needed to full fill her destiny. The harder answer was ...she didn't really know. Maybe she felt like it was her duty to save everyone now that she had the cure. Maybe if she actually did something for a change instead of the Doctor, she'd feel better. She wasn't sure. She just knew she had to do it, and it had to be now. "No time like the present, eh?"

"Do I see you again?"

She nodded. "Loads of times."

He frowned. "I should come visit."

"No." Rixel said. "This is my destiny. This is what I'm suppose to do. You've been telling me that since the first day we met."

"I could help." He offered. "I know science a bit, and I can help hand out the cure and keep you safe."

Oh, how she wanted him to stay. All she had to do was say yes and she'd keep her best friend. But that's not the way things were suppose to happen. "You're needed elsewhere."

"If you need me, then I'll stay."

Rixel shook her head. "Doctor, let me do this."

He let out a long breath. She could tell this was making him uncomfortable. He half turned towards the Tardis and looked at the ground. "Alright."

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "Oh, and Doctor?"

"Yeah?" He glanced back up at her.

"I forgive you."

"For?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know. Kidnapping me. Endangering my life over and over again. Abandoning me on Earth."

"Abandoning you?"

"It was for my own safety." She smiled. "And it was amazing."

"I-okay." He said.

Rixel took a step back. "Good luck, Doctor."

"You too, Rixel." He took one look at her, then stepped back into the Tardis. The door closed behind him and a moment later she heard the engines start up. She watched as the blue box vanished from in front of her. Her heart sped up. This was it. There was no turning back now. She was stranded here.

Rixel turned and started walking. Guess it was time she saved the world.


	49. brand new world

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas 2049**

The end of the World wasn't that bad, really. Rixel found her way through the abandoned areas quite easily. Remembering everything that happened back with the Dream Lord as a kid, she was able to find her parents house and set up a small base camp for herself. After that, it was all about collecting supplies and hoping she'd run into someone.

The first people she saw was three days after she arrived. She was wondering through a hospital, picking up spare medications when she noticed the small group outside.

They stood out, wearing all bright orange. There were only 5 of them, but they all carried giant guns swung over their back. At first she was excited to see another person, but it didn't take long for her to realize these were not her friends.

A small boy, not much older than her, ran up to the group, shouting for help. Rixel couldn't see the boy well from where she was looking out the window, but he seemed like a strong healthy kid. The group turned on him and opened fire without so much as a word. Rixel dropped to the floor and covered her mouth to keep from screaming.

That was her first encounter with the Requiem.

About two weeks later, she stumbled upon an old bomb shelter. At first she didn't think anything of it, but then she noticed something flickered behind the frosted window. Her heart sped up, fearing it was the Requiem. A moment later, the door opened to reveal an old woman with short brown hair. The woman waved her in, nervously looking around.

"Are you alone?" The woman asked.

Rixel nodded and the woman pulled her into the bomb shelter. She eyed the red headed girl's cheeks, and when she was certain she wasn't infected she pushed her all the way inside. The lights were dimmed, but Rixel could still see. There were almost 20 people in the small area. All of them looked cold and hungry. One of them was badly injured.

An hour later, she'd convinced them to come back to her parents house with her. The underground lab made the perfect fortress for these people. The lab actually existed, which surprised Rixel at first. But she supposed it made sense. It wasn't nearly as large as the endless tunnels the Dream Lord had showed her, but it was fairly big enough to hold them all comfortably. The Dream Lord seemed to show them a fake version of the future, but the places were based in reality. And her parents would have had their own private hidden lab built before going to France. Especially with the stuff they were working on. It made sense to her.

Over the next two years, Rixel took the opportunity to learn all she could about the Requiem. Mostly she heard stories from travelers that passed by. People never did like the idea of staying. Everyone feared the Requiem would find them if they weren't constantly moving. This worked to her advantage. The group she originally found in the bomb shelter didn't know very much about the Requiem. All her information she got from the travelers, really.

The Requiem was a group that started up within another group called Torchwood. Apparently when the Sunstar Virus first hit, Torchwood stepped in to contain the virus. They succeeded, actually, according a couple of travelers, but the Requiem stormed the building and released all those in quarantine. At the time, everyone thought of the Requiem as heroes. No one really knew much about the virus back then, and those thrown into quarantine were done against their will, torn away from their families.

Still, all of that was nothing in comparison to what she learned when a member of the Requiem came to her.

Rixel sat down in the room they called the commons and handed the man across from her a cup of tea. "Sorry, it's not that strong. I'm afraid tea bags aren't that easy to come across, strangely enough."

"No prob'em." He smiled back at her. His accent was harshly southern. She wondered just how far he traveled from to get all the way to Kansas. "More than I'm used to. Thanks."

"I hope they didn't give you too much grief upstairs." Rixel nodded towards the main door. When she'd been told a man in an orange jumper was walking towards the house, her first instinct was to kill him on site. When she learned he was alone, however, she let him be.

"Nothing less than I expected." He grinned. "I'm surprised you didn't just shoot first."

"Well, we're not the Requiem." Rixel smiled as she took a sip from her own mug. "Might I ask how you found out about us?"

"Oh, that took some work, let me tell you." He chuckled. "When the Requiem heard that there was an underground settlement o' humans, they was furious. We searched for you guys days on end without sleepin'. Raided building after home after sewer. After being pushed so hard, that's when some of us started leavin'. I took off one night before dawn. Just walked away. Wondered around for about a week until I came across a woman sifting through the garbage. She'd seen my orange clothes and my gun and instantly surrendered. I quickly told her I was no longer with the Requiem. It took some convincin', but eventually she told me the address to this house and said I could find refuge here."

Rixel nodded. "And you didn't think to give this information back to the Requiem?"

"I told you I left 'em." He replied. "Goin' back to them would be suicide."

She thought about this for a moment. In truth, she wasn't too worried. The lab was very well hidden. Even if someone knew the address of her parents house, the chances of them finding the entrance to the lab was next to impossible. And they had 3 armed guards watching the entrance at all times. Even now she knew two people were just outside waiting for the man from the Requiem to make a move and they'd take him out.

"What's you're name?" Rixel asked.

"Alex." He grinned. "Though I hadn't been called that since before the end of the World."

"Oh?"

He shook his head. "The Requiem - they give you a number and that's who you are. I was four-oh-nine."

She frowned. "That's awful."

"I suppose. Beats being killed by them, let me tell you."

She nodded. "My name is Rixel, by the way."

He flinched. "Da Phoenix?"

She stared back at him. She'd heard that name a few times with the refugees, but she had no idea the Requiem knew that name, too. It started out as a joke; some silly red haired kid was bringing people back to life. Somehow the name just stuck. She tried to stop it, to have any other nickname than that, but the people chose it for her.

"How did you know it was me?"

He looked over her for a moment. "You awfully young to be the Phoenix, though."

"Age doesn't mean much." Rixel grinned. "I've been running this facility for two years. So, how did you know my name was associated with the Phoenix?"

"Well, the red hair you gots were a giant clue." He chuckled. "But I've heard your name and being the Phoenix before. Only a few times, but I'm pretty sure all the Requiem knows. You the one that's got them terrified. They say you started this virus. That you're still spreadin' it."

She laughed. The thought of her spreading the virus was actually quite hilarious, especially considering her parents were the ones that created it. And that she'd been spreading it throughout time. "Quite the opposite, I assure you."

She noticed as Alex started to relax a little. She hadn't even realized he was tense. Maybe she was so concerned that a member of the Requiem was in front of her that her own fear clouded her vision of him. She realized how this must all be for him. He was unarmed in the middle of the enemies base. He couldn't be lying. If she felt like it, she could have him killed right now. He must have risked everything to come here.

"What you mean the opposite?" He asked.

"I have the cure." She grinned.

"No, shit!"

She nodded. "But Alex, now I need to ask some questions of you."

"Shoot." He said, leaning back in the chair. Yes, he was much more relaxed now.

Rixel grinned. "Tell me everything you know about the Requiem."

"You ever heard of Torchwood?" Alex asked.

"They're the ones that started the Requiem." She said.

"Well, kinda." He shrugged. "It was a company, and small group at the company started the Requiem. But not 'cause they thought of it themselves. They got the idea from the Books of Saxon."

"The what?" Rixel blinked.

"Books of Saxon." Alex repeated. "Guess there was this guy, Harold Saxon. He was apparently very well known, but then just disappeared one day."

"Ok." Rixel said. "So what, he wrote some books or something that told people the end of the world was coming?"

"I'm getting' to that." Alex mumbled. "He had these diaries that contained all this information. Loads of crazy stuff and technology far beyond anything we'd ever seen."

"You've seen these books?"

Alex nodded. "Everyone in the Requiem has. We've all read 'em."

"And?"

He leaned back in his chair. She could tell he was at ease, but his eyes still randomly checked the door for anyone to come in and shoot him for no reason. "You all are pushy, you know that? I'm tryin' to tell ya."

Rixel couldn't help but smile. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands patiently.

"A'igh." Alex said when he was certain she was willing to listen. "This group at Torchwood, they gots the books. Put together a small group of people an' called themselves the Requiem. The books say that the virus was created in this secret lab out in France and-"

"What?" Rixel gasped.

"Girl, you gonna let me finish or what?" Alex grumbled.

She nervously gripped the edges of her chair. A secret lab in France! He couldn't possibly mean her parents lab, could he? "Sorry, sorry." She breathed out, but her body remained tense.

Alex glared at her for a moment, then continued. "An' the lab, well, it was full of a bunch of scientists that wanted to create some biometric weapon or somethin', I guess. Books don't talk much 'bout that. But the Requiem stormed in there and killed every last one of those scientists."

Rixel took in a sharp breath. The room started spinning around her as the blood drained from her face. That...that wasn't possible. That couldn't be. No one knew that lab existed. No one could have breached it. It's not possible.

Alex continued talking, though she could barely hear him.

"Them books say there's this elemental compound, think it's called C-14? Anyways, it apparently is the cause of da Sunstar Virus. The Requiem thought they stopped it, but I guess they were too late? Like, the virus had already been made and stuff." He paused. "You a'right there, Phoenix?"

Rixel swayed slightly in her chair. A moment later she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a guard that had come in the room to check on her. She brushed his hand off her, but her fingers were trembling. "I'm fine. Please continue"

Alex frowned, but went on. "The virus spread from there. Guess the group at Torchwood started recruiting, sayin' they saved the lives of people who just wanted their families back. At the beginin' and all, no one thought it was bad, let me tell you. We alls thought it was just a cold or something. But then people started diein'. And they didn't stop till most of the World was dead. Then it was join the Requiem or be killed by them, I guess."

Rixel swallowed. She waited a moment to make sure he was done before she spoke. Her voice was weak and trembled. "The books...they mention C-14 and the lab in France?"

"Right down to the address." Alex nodded slowly.

Her head was spinning. Of all the stupid things the Requiem could do, they went and made this personal. They were the ones that killed her parents? That killed all the scientists that helped raise her? Her family? Her fists tightened on the chair under her. This just went from her trying to survive to a full out war.

She took in a long breath, then glanced up at Alex. This time, her voice didn't shake. "Show me where the Requiem is."

* * *

"Chris. Angie." Rixel tossed the small bag towards them at the door. "You two are in charge. Make sure Maggie gets her meds at 10 and 8. Karl, you're going to have to keep track of the guard rotation. Watch the cameras, be extra safe."

"We can't come with you?" Chris asked as he handed the bag off to the girl next to him.

Rixel shook her head. "Too dangerous."

The man frowned. "You're going out there with a member of the Requiem. He's just gonna take you back to them."

"That's the idea." Rixel pushed aside the items on the desk, clearing the space for the map. She dropped it onto the table and rolled it open.

"You'll be killed!" Angie shouted.

Rixel sighed and placed her hands on the table. She only barely knew these people's names, let alone who they really were. Yes, she'd been living with them for two years, but her main priority was perfecting the cure, treating the sick and finding out who the Requiem was. She didn't have a deep love or affection for the people in the facility, but she needed them to be safe. If that meant she'd take on the Requiem by herself, so be it.

Besides, they'd never understand her reasoning for wanting to take them out so badly.

"I know the layout well enough to get her in without getting' shot." Alex assured them.

"You're handing over the only chance of survival we have!" Chris shouted at the man in orange.

"I ain't doin' this 'cause I want to!" Alex yelled back.

"Enough!" Rixel pounded her fist on the table. Seriously, she was the youngest one here by far and she had to be the adult? "Alex is taking me, and me alone, and that's final!"

"What do we do if you die?" Angie asked quietly.

Rixel glanced over at her. The woman was twice her age with a year of medical school under her belt. She could easily handle running this place alone. "I'm not going to die, Angie."

"You should still take someone else with you." Chris said, though he was still glaring at Alex. "To protect you."

"I'm not the kid you think I am." Rixel focused back down on the map. Her finger traced over the route they'd be taking. "Besides, Alex can watch my back."

"Yeah, until he gets you alone."

"Stop it!" Rixel growled.

"We're just worried about it." Angie said. "He's a member of the Requiem. He came in here, found the greatest threat to his faction and wants to take you back to them. It sounds like suicide."

Rixel didn't argue that point. In fact, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be returning from this mission. Not that she'd tell them that. They wouldn't understand. They'd all say stupid things like she had so much to live for. Oh, if they only knew how much of a life she'd already lived. She shook her head. That wasn't the point anyway. This was her destiny. Her choice. She needed to do this. If there was any chance at all of stopping the Requiem, she had to do it. "I've already made my choice."

Chris sighed, but stepped back. "If you die-"

"If I die, then I'll bring the Requiem with me." Rixel rolled the map back up and tossed it into another bag. "And that's that."

Angie placed an arm on the little red head's back. "Please be careful."

Rixel closed her eyes. She hated the fact that they blindly believed they wouldn't be able to carry on without the help of a silly 16 year old girl. The only real thing she contributed was the facility and the cure. The facility was theirs now, and she'd taught dozens of people how to create the cure. Granted, only a few actually could do it, but those few were enough. As long as one person knew, they could cure the infected. And with everyone that traveled out of the facility, so went a few vials of the cure as well. For over a year now they'd been sending out the cure. Rixel wouldn't be surprised if it had reached most parts of the world by now. No, they didn't really need her anymore. She'd done her part here. Now it was time for her to carry out her destiny.

"We leave at dusk." Rixel tossed the bag with the map in it to Alex. "Get some rest. We're going to need it."

* * *

For the first time in several years, Rixel dreamed of Rose Tyler.

The red headed girl was studying the map and making drawings of the Requiem base when the blond walked into the room. Rixel could tell she was there, but she didn't see her at first.

"I'm busy." She muttered.

"I know." Rose crossed over and sat down on a large throne that was behind the desk. The throne was made of crystallized blue fire. Her arms draped over the sides as she watched Rixel. "You're about to go to war."

Rixel nodded, but didn't look up from the maps.

"It's only going to get harder before it gets better." Rose smiled.

"Yeah, I figured that." Rixel lifted her head. "Why are you here?"

"I still have to warn you, you know." Rose leaned back in the throne and traced a finger along the side. "About the Doctor."

Rixel laughed. "I haven't thought about him in years."

The room vanished, replaced by an old schoolroom. Rixel sat a small desk in the back of the classroom. Rose stood at the front, pointing to the chalkboard. On it was written the words 'The Doctor' in big blue letters."You've been away from him for years now."

Rixel sighed. "Five years at the academy, then two years here."

"With only seeing him for three months in between." Rose nodded slowly. She walked around the main desk and down the room of smaller desks towards Rixel. "Seven years away is a long time."

Rixel looked away. "He's not a part of my life anymore." The statement stung her, though it was true. She'd spent almost half her life away from him now. She never even thought about the mad man with a blue box anymore.

"You'll see him again soon." Rose smiled.

The classroom faded away and the two girls stood inside the Tardis. It was the coral one, which meant her dreams wouldn't even give her the satisfaction of showing her the bowtie Doctor.

"I told him not to visit me." Rixel shook her head. "I'll never see him again."

Rose laughed. "You're more involved with him than you think."

"Oh, I know." Rixel grumbled. "He pretended to be my father."

"That's not what I meant." Rose stuck out her tongue in a grin. "But don't forget what I told ya!"

The Tardis started to whir.

"Which is?" Rixel asked.

Rose grinned. Her lips didn't move, but her voice filled the Tardis.

"That you're always with him."


	50. base of the Requiem

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas 2049**

Alex pulled Rixel down behind the rock. His eyes were wide and alert, but he was careful in his motions. He never reacted, Rixel noticed. He saw a situation and calculated what to do before doing it. It was a far cry from the panicky refugees she'd dealt with for the past two years.

"Da entrance is forty meters West." Alex whispered. He poked his head up over the rock so he could see. Rixel did the same. "It's da least guarded one, and we can sneak by if we're lucky."

"If we're not lucky?" Rixel whispered back.

Alex glanced down at her waist, which holstered a small pistol. "Then we's be fightin'."

Rixel frowned. She could count on her fingers the number of times she actually practiced firing a weapon. She scanned the ground to the entrance. "It looks like no one is guarding."

"Looks it." Alex grumbled. "But it ain't. Two snipers up on top. Plus there's always a guy just inside the door."

"How do we get past snipers?" Rixel hissed. The sun was still down, but it wasn't dark enough to hide them completely. If they stepped out from behind the rock they'd be completely exposed.

"Relax, little Phoenix." Alex grinned. She hated that he called her that. "I gots it taken care of."

Rixel eyes him suspiciously, but didn't question him. If he wanted her dead, he could have done it hundreds of times already. He believed he had her best interests at heart.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hand radio. At the sight of it, Rixel froze. How long had he been carrying that? Was it on back at the lab? Did it have a GPS that could track them? She swallowed. No. Alex wasn't like that. He wouldn't. He couldn't have.

"Hey seven-twelve. Ya there?" Alex clicked the radio.

There was a soft hum, then static flared up as a deep voice came back from the other end of the radio.

"Four-oh-nine, is that you?"

Alex smirked. "Piece o' cake." He winked at Rixel, then flicked the radio back on. "Hey bud! I gots a bit lost out here, but I found ya 'gain."

"Dude. Twenty-three five said you'd run off. It's been over a week, man."

Alex grumbled on the radio. "Shit, Twenty-three five's the one that got me lost, man. He's an ass and I'll kill him the next time I see that son of a bitch."

Rixel flinched at his words. Is that how the Requiem spoke to each other normally?

There was a pause, then the radio clicked on again. "Alright, dude. Eighteen's gone at the moment, but he'll be back in an hour. I highly suggest you get outta here before then or he'll kill you without question."

Alex smiled over at Rixel as he spoke into the radio. "Oh, and seven-twelve? I gots us a new recruit. I think you'll like her. She's fiery."

* * *

The Requiem facility was far larger than she ever imagined. Alex lead her down a concrete hallway that had a long metal mesh flooring. The floor actually reminded her of the Tardis. Their footsteps echoed down the hall, making it near impossible for them to move about undetected. That would make it harder for her to sneak out.

"Who's eighteen?" Rixel asked.

Alex shook his head. "Higher up. He's the leader of this section, in a ways. He mostly stays out East, but lately he's been spending loads o' time here."

"And he'll kill you just because you went missing for a week without explanation?"

Alex grinned. "Naw. He just likes to kill one or two of us every time he returns to base. I'll just have a good enough reason for him to do it."

Rixel shuddered. This was turning more and more dangerous by the second. They passed through a metal doorframe into a large warehouse type room. The walls were lined with rows and rows of guns. Enough to supply several large armies. It was terrfying. Dozens of people in orange jumpsuits walked about them. Most of them were carrying large metal objects, but some were standing around talking. All of them glanced over at Alex and her as they walked through the building.

"Relax." Alex muttered to her. "They ain't gonna touch ya."

"Wish I shared your confidence." Rixel eyed a man that passed them who carried a giant machine gun on his back.

"Naw, they're all workin'. Got deadlines. They don't care 'bout a new recruit."

"What are they working on?" Rixel watched as several of the metal objects were carried out a warehouse door into what looked like a stairwell.

"Boss has us buildin' somethin' in the basement. I dunno what. It's all techy and complicated. Figure it's a weapon." Alex replied.

The two of them walked over towards a glassed wall that had a small yellow door. Through the glass, Rixel could see the room inside was an office of some sort. Alex opened the door for her. Rixel stepped inside and felt cold air wash over her. Air conditioning. Wow. She never expected to feel that again.

"Oi, thirty eight four. This is da new recruit I told seven-twelve about." Alex patted Rixel on the shoulder.

The man looked up from his desk. He had on thick circular glasses and dark thinning hair. He frowned as he looked over Rixel.

"She's too skinny. Kill her." The man said before looking back down to his paperwork.

Too skinny? Rixel frowned. Did he not know the end of the World happened? Finding substantial food wasn't exactly as easy and going down to the store. Especially not when she had to feed several people under her roof.

"Small, but quick." Alex spoke up. "Saw her kill three refugees on her own over a bag of potato chips."

"I don't have time to train anyone now." The man waved his hand in the air without looking up from his paperwork. "Just kill her."

"Or," Alex argued. "Leave that to me and seven-twelve. If in a week she ain't what you imagined, then we'll kill her."

Rixel swallowed. She knew she wouldn't be anywhere near this facility in a matter of hours, but hearing the two talk about her imminent death in a week was frightening.

The man paused for a moment, then looked up at them. "Eighteen will be back in an hour. Leave the decision up to him."

Alex looked over at Rixel and she nodded lightly. An hour was really pushing it, but she thought she could be fully gone by then.

"A'ight." Alex nodded. "Thank ya, sir."

The man dismissed them, and Alex and Rixel hurried out of the office. He lead her off towards a side room that was empty. Once the door closed behind them, she let out a long breath.

"Told ya I'd get ya in." Alex grinned.

Rixel swung the bag off her shoulder and dropped it to the ground. "An hour's not a long time."

"Better than gettin' killed outright." Alex shrugged. "Gotta admit, there was that chance."

Rixel shuddered as she dropped down and started to sift through the bag. She handed up a small plastic wrapped container to Alex, then took another one out and placed it on the ground beside her.

"What's this?" Alex said, looking it over.

"Best you don't know." Rixel replied. She took another container out then closed the bag. "I need you to take that back to the guys office. Leave it just outside the door, but in a way that no one will notice it."

"What is it?" He asked again.

Rixel flipped her hair behind her shoulder. It was getting ridiculously long again. "I told you, it's better if-"

"I ain't stupid." Alex grumbled. "Explosives?"

She paused, then nodded slowly. It wasn't entirely true, but it would give the same effect. Sort of. Kinda.

Alex nodded. "If you go out an' down those stairs, make sure you be wearing an orange jumper. Third door on your left will take you to the generators."

"What about the main air filters?" Rixel asked.

"Air filters?"

"Um, air conditioning?"

"Ah." Alex pointed back towards the door they came in from. "Keep doing down that room. It's not far from here."

Rixel stood up and tuck her hand out for Alex to shake. "Thanks, Alex. You've been an amazing help."

He glanced down at her hand. "You done with me?"

She smiled. "Set that explosive and get out of here. Trust me. You don't want to be around when it goes off."

"Oh, I don't. Let me tell you." Alex shook her hand. "Good luck, little Phoenix."

She waited until he left the room, then counted out a full minute. She had to be sure he felt like he accomplished something. Rixel walked over to the door and peered out. Yup. That little container sat by the office window. Not that it mattered. It was the same as the two she carried in her hand, but it's placement didn't matter. She slipped out into the hall and started off towards the air conditioning system.

She realized she probably should have put on an orange jumper, but not many people passed her on the way to the air systems. One guy looked at her odd, but didn't do anything. She guessed they must have been informed that a new recruit was inside. That was good for her, she supposed. Though she doubted it would make it easier for her escape.

Rixel came across the conveniently labeled door for the air. After a careful look around, she stepped into the room unnoticed.

Inside, three large air filtration systems were running with a low hum. She placed one of the containers on top of the machine closest to her. Then she placed the other underneath the middle system. Rixel stepped back and looked down at her wrist. A tiny watch looking device glanced back up at her, blinking 10:00. With one more glance at the containers, she hit the button on the watch. 9:59. 9:58.

Rixel stepped back out into the main room and headed towards the room with her bag in it. There was nothing left in there of importance, but she figured it would look suspicious if she left without a bag when she obviously came in with one.

As she walked by the man's office, his door flew open, startling her.

"You. New recruit. Where did the man you came in with go?" He demanded.

"Uh, he, uh, had to go to the bathroom, sir." She flustered.

"Get in here." The man pulled her arm, dragging her into the office.

Rixel fell back into a chair and watched as the man rounded to his desk.

"Apparently there's been a breach in our security." The man said, looking down at his papers.

"There has?" Rixel tried to keep her voice calm and level.

"The man that brought you here has been fraternizing with the enemy." He said. "I have reports here from two different men that say he was seen walking out from the base camp with a young boy."

"O-oh?" Rixel froze. Young boy? That wasn't true. The only person Alex left with was her. Did someone mistake her? No. Her red hair was too long to be mistaken for a boy.

"However, I have reports here that say you were picked up after the fact, so we know you're cleared. The one you came in with..." The man searched through his desk until he found the paper he was looking for. "Ah. Four-oh-nine. Yes. He'll need to be executed right away."

Rixel swallowed. "Okay?"

The man glanced up at her with a frown. "Well, go on then! Get to it!"

"Oh!" She jumped up to her feet. "You mean me?"

He glanced around the room. "I don't see anyone else here, do I?"

"Ye-yes." Rixel said. Then, as an after thought she added, "sir."

"And get properly dressed!" The man yelled as she hurried out of the room.

Rixel walked as fast as she could towards the hallway that lead out to the main doors. Her heart was racing. She glanced down at her watch. 5:37. 5:36.

She walked straight into something soft and bounced off. A few steps back, she looked up. A giant man that looked like he could lift a car single handedly glared down at her. He cracked his hands at his sides.

"S-sorry." Rixel stuttered. "I wasn't paying attention."

The giant grumbled and shook his head. "Boss is here. Get back in there."

"What?" Rixel's eyes widened. "I thought they said an hour!"

He growled again. "He's early. Get back in there."

Rixel stepped back, nodding quickly. She nearly tripped over herself as she hurried back into the main room. Already there was a large group of orange jumpered people starting to gather. She shuffled over towards them. Her eyes searched the crowd for Alex, but she didn't see him. Good. He must have escaped. Well, that was something. She sighed. Now she really wished she'd grabbed an orange jumper.

4:44. 4:43.

She glanced up. The Requiem was gathering around her at an alarming rate. She couldn't even see the door anymore. More and more of them kept getting closer. If they'd given her more than a second glance, she might have freaked out right there. But they weren't looking at her, they were looking up towards the wall. Rixel squinted. No. Not a wall. A platform of some sorts. She saw a ruffle of blond hair up by the podium.

"Good morning, Requiem!" An eerily familiar voice echoed out of the microphone she hadn't even known was there. Seriously, it was so familiar. Where did she hear that before?

"Morning! Master! Sir!"

Rixel's eyes widened. No. No, that wasn't possible.

"And I'd like you all to welcome our wonderful guest, Ms. Rixel Kirii herself – The Phoenix!" The man shouted back into the microphone. His voice was so obvious now. She wondered how she ever forgot it.

The crowd turned and stared down at the little red headed girl.

Rixel swallowed. Oh crap.


	51. vortex manipulation

**Cherrybrooke, Kansas 2049**

As the crowd stared at her, the pistol felt heavy on her waist. Not that it would do any good against the entire Requiem, but her mind still went there first. They didn't glare at her with anger like she expected. Or fear. Actually, fear would have been great. But no, they just looked down at her like she was so insignificant that there was no reason to feel anger or fear.

She stared up at them, trying to see through the crowd to the blond man at the podium. He was far, but she recognized him. "Dr. Harold." She growled.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but then ignored her comment. "Now, my lovely Requiem, are we ready to begin plan H?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

The crowd's response was so loud it reverberated in her chest. Rixel shuddered and glanced down at her watch. 3:00. 2:59. She wasn't going to make it out in time.

The Master snapped his fingers and two of the closest men to Rixel grabbed her arms. At first she struggled, but these guys were easily twice her size. She wouldn't be able to escape them.

"You know, you really should learn not to trust me." The Master walked forward, jumping down into the crowd so Rixel couldn't see him anymore. But she could hear him. Oh, she could hear. His voice seemed to amplify as they echoed off the giant walls.

"Did you really think you could just waltz on into my hideout and expect to escape alive? No, no, my dear. Come on! The Requiem is legendary! It's a fixed point in time! Not even you can destroy it!"

Rixel smirked. "So is their downfall!" She shouted out into the crowd, but she couldn't even tell from what direction his voice was coming from. Her captures were only looking at her.

His laughter came from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, but he wasn't there.

"And who told you that, little Phoenix?"

Rixel looked all around her, but she still couldn't find him. Somehow the giant thugs holding her arms didn't matter to her anymore. It was him. He was the one she was terrified of.

When she didn't answer, the Master's voice came out again. "Was it the Doctor?"

"He wouldn't lie to me!" Rixel snapped back.

"No?" He laughed again.

In front of her, she saw the men start to part. It was slow at first, but they soon made a pathway. Up ahead in front of her stood the Master. He watched her for a second, then started to almost prance towards her. Really, was he dancing? Rixel flinched. The man really was insane. He looked identical to the doctor she spent weeks with in a lab, but this was not the same man. This was the traitor who stole River's vortex manipulator. This was an insane person.

He skipped down towards her, then whipped his hand across her face. Veins of pain raced across her face. She bit down to keep from yelling out.

The Master leaned forward and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Number one rule, Phoenix. The Doctor lies."

* * *

"In there!"

Rixel stumbled forward as she was pushed into the room. The floor was still metal under her feet, but the room was far smaller. She couldn't see with the blindfold on her eyes, but the echoes were all very much closer. Far too intimate.

"Cozy, isn't it?" The Master spoke. A door closed behind him with a loud bang. "Don't worry. You won't be here long."

Her mind raced. How much time had passed? Surely it only took a minute to get here, but what if it took more? Did she even have enough time to get out if she escaped now? How much time did she have left? Not being able to see her watch was torture.

"Remember this?" The Master leapt forward and ripped off her blindfold. He shoved the vortex manipulator in her face, brushing up against her nose.

She flinched, leaning back. No one was there to hold her now, but they didn't need to be. The room was only large enough to hold the two of them really. And that door was massive! Why such a large door for such a small room?

"Got me out of a real bind back then." He giggled to himself. "Know what else it can do?"

Rixel stole a glance down at her watch. Before she could see anything, he grabbed her wrist, covering it. She looked up at him to yell, but a strange feeling came over her. She felt like her insides were being stretched out through her skin and the world tumbled all around her. She started to fall over, but he caught her around the waist.

"Oh! Vortex manipulator! Takes some getting used to. Bet you feel sick as a dog right now!" He laughed hysterically.

Her head flipped around and her eyes couldn't seem to find which way to point. She felt like throwing up. What the hell did he do to her? Had her plan already taken effect? Did she release the virus?

"Ah! And look at that!" The Master tugged at her wrist. "We left with 16 seconds to spare! Ha!"

He left go of her and she dropped down to her knees. The soft ground squished as she landed. Wait, soft? Rixel blinked several times as the world started to come back into focus. She was outside. In the mud. And it was night.

"Where-" She started, but the nausea came back too quick for her to finish.

"Malcassairo!" He shouted, spinning around in a circle. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Mal what?" Rixel sat back on her legs. Things were finally starting to settle. Her vision was coming back and she was fairly certain she wouldn't lose her lunch. Maybe.

"Who cares?" He shrugged. "What matters to you is if you can find the station before the Futurekind find you!"

"What are you talking about!" Rixel growled.

"Look around you!" The Master laughed. "We're on another planet! In another time! And you're going to die here if you don't get moving."

"What?"

"No second warnings." He grinned as his lifted the vortex manipulator up. "Tootles!" He pushed a button. There was a soft flash of light and wind, and then he was gone.

Fear and panic rushed through her and Rixel jumped up to her feet. "Master!" She shouted out, turning in all directions. She couldn't see him anywhere. "Master, come back here and face me!"

He was right. She was on another planet, that was for sure. This was most definitely not Earth. She shuddered. She got up to her feet, hugging herself. Where was she suppose to go? This place looked like a desert. A long deserted desert. Ug.

A roaring scream came from behind her. She spun around, but there was nothing there. Still, the screaming continued. Not really screaming, more like moaning and growling and... gunfire. She gulped. Oh, that didn't sound very friendly. Rixel turned, and she ran.  
By the time she found what was called the transport site, she could see the Futurekind behind her. Though she didn't know what or who they were, it was obvious they meant her harm. So when she first saw the gates to the transport site, she hesitated. What if they were just like the ones chasing her? Worse yet, what if they were herding her there? She flinched and covered her head as she heard gunshots. After a few more shots, she realized they were shooting at the ones chasing her. Rixel picked up her pace and ran through the fence into a brightly lit courtyard. A man stood in a doorway to a large building and waved her in. She rushed over to him, panting.

"Show me your teeth!" The man demanded.

If it hadn't been for the sheer panic and fear of being chased, she would have just grumbled at him, but as it was she didn't think anyone around here was in the mood for a joke. She pulled her lips back, exposing her teeth. Once she did so, he ushered her inside, closing the door behind her.

"What the hell was that?" Rixel bent over, catching her breath.

The man frowned. "Futurekind. Can't imagine that's your first run in with them."

Rixel held back a laugh. "Sorry, yeah. I tend to get around a bit."

"Well, not anymore I'm afraid." He shrugged a gun she hadn't noticed over his shoulder. "Unless you plan on going to Utopia."

"What?"

"The ship is going to take us all to Utopia."

"Can you tell me how to get back to Earth?" She asked, though she doubted it would matter. She had no idea where the Master had thrown her. For all she knew, she could be galaxies away from him.

"Earth?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Figured as much." She sighed.

"You'll want to report down to Chris. Everyone earns their passage to Utopia."

Great. Stuck on some random planet and now was being asked to work. She pulled her locket out from under she shirt and held it tightly. Nothing happened. Figures.

"Go on, then!" He said, motioning towards the hall. "Quit wasting time!"

Rixel jumped, then scurried off down the hall.


	52. at the end of the universe

**Malcassairo, 100 trillion**

Rixel put the pencil in her mouth and she reached up to grab the file from on top of the cabinet. She lifted up on her toes, but even then her fingers just grazed the file.

"Chan - here, let me get that for you - tho."

Rixel turned her head to see one of the alien girls she worked with reach up with ease and pull down the folder. Rixel smiled at her. "Thanks, Chantho."

The girl nodded at her, then headed back to her own work.

Rixel sighed as she placed the folder down on the desk. This life wasn't what she wanted. It was a mistake for her to even be here. The worst part was, she felt like she could find a way to get back home if she only had a moment to herself. That wasn't the case here. After spending almost two weeks working in a stuffy little lab trying to power a giant ship that would never fly, she barely even got time to sleep. Her fingers absentmindedly wrapped around her locket. What she wouldn't give to have the Doctor back in her life now.

"Chan – you okay – tho?"

Rixel looked up at the strange alien girl and nodded. She held up the folder. "Just checking over the power reports."

Chantho paused for a moment, then looked away as she accepted the answer.

Two weeks. Why was it whenever Rixel was away from the Doctor her life got the strangest? And why was she thinking about him now? After so many years. So, so many years. It was all her fault, too. She sent him away. She said she didn't need his help. And now what? Now she needed him and there was nothing she could do about it.

"How is the work going, girls?" An older man stepped into the lab and hobbled over towards a swivel chair in front of a computer.

"Chan – very well – tho." Chantho said, smiling sweetly at the man.

Rixel turned and leaned up against the desk, holding the folder against her chest. "Morning, professor."

"Rixel, can you run down to the ship and check the other end of the gravitissimal accelerator?"

She frowned. When she'd been first told to help out the scientist, she thought it would be fun. That was misleading. Though he was brilliant, Professor Yana was given an impossible task. And now she was stuck helping him. For the rest of her miserable life, too, if she didn't figure a way off this stupid rock. Rixel pushed away from the desk and tossed the folder off to the side. She pushed open the door and headed down the hall.

Utopia. A silly little dream for a group of humans that hoped to outrun the end of the universe. At least, that's what she managed to gather over the past two weeks. It was hard to get details. It seemed everything was common knowledge, and whenever she tried to ask questions, people treated her strangely. Even Chantho would look at her weird if she asked the wrong things. So instead she listened. It didn't give her everything she wanted, but it was better than nothing.

Rixel pushed open the doors to the ship room. Ha, what a joke. Sure, it was a ship, and in theory it could run and carry loads of people, too. But everything was all messed up. The cords were old and unrepairable. The inertia needed for launch wasn't available. Not to mention launching would have to be triggered from back in the lab. She figured Chantho and the professor knew all this, but didn't mention it. They both seemed too intelligent not to know.

She crouched down next to the large metallic casing for the accelerator and pulled off the maintenance panel. Inside the wires were all askew. She sighed. It would take her hours to get them all organized. Since when did she go from the conqueror of the Requiem to a day mechanic? She pulled her red curls behind her, secured them in place, then got to work.

* * *

Three hours later, she finally got all the wires in order. Her arms were filthy and her hair was a mess, but her work might actually have been worth it. Rixel leaned back on her toes as she looked over the organized wires. Wow. It wouldn't give an incredible amount of power, but it would help. She placed the cover panel back on and jumped up her to her feet. She took the moment to stretch her arms above her head. If she told herself 2 years ago that she'd be here doing silly mechanical work she would have laughed. Even at the end of the world, with the requiem threatening her every movement, she didn't think things would end up like this. And it was all because of the Master.

Rixel frowned. If she ever saw that man again, she'd be right to cut his head off.

The violent thought stunned her for a moment. Kill someone? Could she actually do such a thing? Sure, she carried a gun around with her for two years, but she never actually ended a persons life. But him? The man that betrayed her? That was responsible for her parents death? The leader of the requiem? It was a strange feeling.

She sighed and turned back towards the door. Just as she was about to leave, a loud whirring sound came from behind her. Rixel jumped, turning to see the dust vibrating off the generators. They were on.

"No way." Rixel gasped, taking a step forward. They were on. They were really on. And working. She gasped, smiling to herself. It was actually working.

The intercom clicked to life, echoing the joyous announcement throughout the chamber around her.

"All passengers prepare for immediate boarding."

She could barely feel her feet touching the ground as she ran down the hall. There was hardly anyone left in the halls now. They were all lining up to get into the ship. She couldn't believe it. Yana actually did it. He saved them all.

Rixel reached the door and burst in, laughing as she spoke. "You did it! You actually-"

She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the three in the room. The Professor was watching a monitor intently while Chantho was grinning madly towards the red headed girl. Between them stood someone that shouldn't exist. Someone that shouldn't be there. A woman she hadn't seen in years.

Chantho's grin slowly vanished as she looked between the red headed girl and Martha. "Chan – is everything okay – tho?"

"Ma-Martha?" Rixel gasped. She could barely force the word out. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of her.

The woman turned towards her. The moment she saw her, her eyes widened. "Rixel!"

Rixel wanted to ask her how she'd gotten there, how such a thing was even possible, but she couldn't think straight. All she could do was stare as the woman ran over and embraced her in a giant hug.

"Oh my gosh, look at you!" Martha stepped back. "I can't believe how old you are! You're practically all grown up!"

Rixel just stared at the woman. Martha Jones. The woman that held her back. The woman that saved her life. The woman that traveled with... no. Rixel refused to think of him. She couldn't bare to get her hopes up. Not again. Not after everything.

"Chan - you know each other – tho?" Chantho asked, looking between them.

"Oh yeah. We're old friends. Been through loads together. Hang on." Martha frowned. "How did you get here? I thought we were at the end of the universe. Last I saw you, you were just a little girl. Ten years old."

The corner of Rixel's mouth twitched. So much had happened since she was only ten. A whole third of her life.

"Well come on, then." Martha punched her playfully in the arm. "Say something. You're looking at me like I'm a ghost."

Rixel leaped forward, hugging the woman. It was really her. It was really Martha. Not a trick, not a prank, not a hallucination, but really her. Oh she even smelled like... Rixel pushed back. She couldn't refrain from knowing for another second. "Is he here?"

"Who? The Doctor?" Martha rolled her eyes. "How else would I get here?"

Rixel's jaw dropped.

"Oh no. He's not here with you, is he? Like, a different time or something?"

Rixel shook her head quickly. "Where is he?"

Martha turned, pointing towards the monitor that Professor Yana was looking at.

"Chan – stet radiation chamber – tho." Chantho said.

Rixel glanced over at her. A strange burst of happiness raced through her. He was here. Before she knew what she was doing, her body turned and raced out the door.

Years. What does someone say years after telling then to vanish? She thought she said goodbye to him for good, but apparently the universe had a different idea.

_You're always with him._

Rixel ran through the halls, nearly falling over every time she had to turn. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Martha was here, so this couldn't be her bow-tie Doctor. Not that it mattered. She'd take any Doctor, from any time, right now.

She grabbed onto the thick pipe to keep her balance as she spun around the last corner. There, at the end of the hall looking into the chamber, was the Doctor.

He was far better looking than she remembered. Even now, with his back slightly hunched over and his arms crossed in that faint hopelessness, he looked like a Knight in shining armor to her. A King. A father.

She tried to call out to him, but her voice caught in her throat again. She took a shaky step forward. Years of memories she forced herself to push away came running back. Titanic. Pennsylvania. The Daleks. Rose. All of it the most terrifying and the best years of her life.

Rixel ran forward. She didn't even care anymore, she just wanted to hold him, to make sure he was real. Her feet started to move and she crashed into him just as he was turning to see what was running towards him. He jerked slightly at her tight hug, but then relaxed slowly. Her face buried into his shoulder, which surprised her by how much she'd grown, and her arms held onto him. She feared if she let go, even for a second, he'd fade away.

"Oh, hey there Rixel."

She gasped. The casualness in his voice felt all wrong. She hadn't seen him in years and he greeted her like he half expected her to show up. She leaned back and looked up at him. Her eyes were red, though she was fairly certain she could keep herself from crying. Maybe.

"D-Doctor." She finally managed to say.

He smiled at her. "You're still hugging me."

Rixel swallowed, pulling herself away from him. She was amazed she could force herself to do so. She noticed his eyes flickered down to her necklace. Did...did he just frown? He glanced back up at her face. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You alright? You look a bit pale."

She exhaled slowly. "Doctor...I haven't seen you in years."

He raised an eyebrow. "Years?"

Rixel nodded slowly. Couldn't he tell how important this reunion was for her? "Conqueror of the Requiem, remember?"

He stared at her for a moment, but she didn't like his expression. He looked more cautious of her than happy to see her. Almost like he didn't trust her. "Mm, I suppose you are quite older."

Her jaw dropped. Seriously? That's all he had to say? She took a step back.

The Doctor didn't seem to notice. He looked back into the chamber. "Jack, you almost done?"

A voice came through the side intercom. "Yeah, just a second here."

Rixel blinked. Her brain was too upset to even comprehend Jack. All she could think about was how the Doctor didn't even care she was there. She frowned. The bow-tie Doctor would care. He'd probably run out to rescue her if he knew what was going on.

After a moment, the Doctor glanced over at her. "Can you go see if Martha needs any help?"

Rixel ground her teeth. "It's been two years since I last saw you and you want me to play assistant?"

"Rixel, last time I saw you, you weren't too happy with me." He said, sighing lightly. "And right now we're in the middle of a slight emergency, so yes, I'd like you to go help out if you possibly can."

The rebellious teenager inside of her wanted to stomp her foot and storm off, but Rixel had overcome her spontaneous outbursts when she was forced to live underground in charge of a group of people. Instead she just blinked softly and turned. Her feet somehow managed to walk forward, away from the Doctor, even though her heart was screaming at her.

You're always with him. Rixel scoffed at the memory of a dream. Yeah, right.

* * *

As she rounded the corner, she walked straight into Martha. Rixel stumbled back a few steps as Martha tried to regain herself from the collision. Her face was red and she was panting hard.

"What's wrong?" Rixel asked.

Martha put a hand on the wall to steady herself as she gasped for air. "The professor has a watch."

"Um, ok?" Rixel frowned slightly. She didn't see why that would upset the woman so much.

"No! It's the same watch! The same fobwatch! The same as the one the Doctor had in Pennsylvania!"

Rixel's eyes widened. "What?"

Martha ran passed Rixel towards the Doctor, leaving the red head to stand dumbfounded in the hall. A million questions raced through Rixel's mind. Surely she would have noticed the fobwatch if it was really the same. She'd spend two weeks with the professor after all. But they were working. It's possible she could have missed it. She might never have had the chance to see it.

Still, something wasn't sitting right with her. A watch, just like the Doctors. Just like in Pennsylvania. A watch that can make a Time Lord human, but the Doctor was the only Time Lord left. Not even River was a Time Lord.

River. Something to do with her. Something that she said. What was it? Rixel felt a twinge of guilt. She really liked River. And it all started when she stole the woman's vortex manipulator for that horrible betrayer, the Master.

Rixel froze. The Master. Oh no. Hadn't River said something? At the library?

'You stole my vortex manipulator and gave it to the only evil Time Lord left in existence. I think you owe me enough to trust me.'

Oh crap.

She turned on her toes and ran back to the lab. As she ran, she couldn't help but smirk. Whenever the Doctor was around, she always ran, didn't she? Even back at the end of the World, with the Requiem and everything, she never ran that often. It was always just with the Doctor.

"Professor!" Rixel burst into the lab room. He wasn't sitting at his normal computer. In fact, she didn't see him at all. "Professor! I need to speak with you!"

Rixel turned to check back outside when a sharp pain cracked over her head. She crumpled down to the floor and the lab faded to black.


	53. Origin of the Phoenix

**Gallifrey Blackhole Shipyard, 1963**

Rixel blinked. She hadn't even realized she did so until everything around her was completely different. She spun around in a circle, looking for Rose, but the blonde was nowhere to be found. She was alone.

She shivered. The room was dark and cold, but she could make out a small structure sitting behind a stairwell off to the side. Rixel took a step towards it and jumped as her footsteps echoed around her. She looked down at the floor, which was polished so well she could see a near perfect reflection of herself. Where the heck was she?

Something clicked on in the distance, and she lifted her head to see a strange strip of light. She took a few steps towards it and noticed it was a backlit sign that said 'police box'. Her heart leaped into her throat and she started to run towards the familiar box. Her steps echoed loudly, but she didn't care.

Rixel slammed into the Tardis and started to pound on the door. "Doctor! Doctor, it's me! Open up!" Her voice echoed around her, almost too loud. "Doctor, please!"

The red headed girl looked back over her shoulder into the darkness. She could tell the room was massive and well kept, but it was just so dark. The only light seemed to be coming from the illuminated police box sign above her head, and it wasn't very bright.

"Doctor?" Rixel tried the door. She pushed and pulled on it, praying it would open, but it didn't. She placed her ear up against the door and listened, but she didn't hear anything. No voices. No footsteps. Maybe he wasn't in there.

She turned and leaned up against the Tardis. So where was he then? It was so dark in here. Rixel hugged herself. How'd she get here, anyhow? Normally she couldn't jump outside of the Tardis. And yet now she'd gone from seeing Rose to this dark room.

Just as she was about to pushed herself off and go wondering in the darkness, that awfully familiar golden warmth raced through her. It hit her so hard she actually gasped. Rixel turned and looked back at the Tardis. The light from the back lit sign seemed to glow even brighter. She reached her hand out towards the door. The moment her fingers brushed the wood, she heard a click and the door flew open. Inside, however, was not at all what she expected.

Rixel stepped into the Tardis, looking around the giant hallway. It had been ten years since she'd last been to that lab in France, but this place was identical. The living quarters spread out in front of her, and the hall disappeared up the stairs to the lab above.

As she walked forward, she couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her heart. She was taller now, so much taller, and the hall seemed far more cramped than she ever realized. She peered into the rooms as she walked by. Some of the doors were closed, but some were open, revealing the perfect replica of how she remembered the other scientists rooms.

Her own bedroom door was closed. She paused outside of it, debating on whether or not she should enter. Before she made the choice, a soft hum clicked on. Rixel turned her head to see a glow coming out of her parents room into the hall. She knew that glow. Even after ten years, she'd never forget that glow. It was the tv.

Rixel walked down the hall and glanced into her parents bedroom. It was exactly as it had been, right down to the blanket in the corner that she sometimes used as a pillow when she fell asleep watching tv. She'd swear she was actually in the lab if it wasn't for that strange golden glow.

She walked into the room and sat down on the bed, staring at the tv. Instead of the Wizard of Oz or Indiana Jones, the screen showed a small white room. Her breath caught in her throat she she noticed who was standing in the center of the room with his arms folded.

"Lu-Luke!" Rixel grasped the locket around her neck. How long had it been since she'd seen him?

He smiled back at her and walked towards the screen, enlarging his face. He looked just as good as she remembered. "Hello, Rixel."

"But...how?" She looked around the room, unsure of what she'd see. But nothing looked out of place. Well, nothing other than her being in her parents bedroom from a lab that she hadn't seen since she was six.

Luke shook his head. "I figured this was the best way to talk with you. That you'd feel the most comfortable like this."

She leaned forward. "Where are you? Can I see you?"

He smirked. "I'm not... real, you know. I'm not Luke."

Rixel blinked. "What?"

Luke rolled his shoulders. "I just figured this would be the best shape to approach you in. Would you prefer I change?" The screen flicked, and standing in Luke's place was the Doctor. The bowtie Doctor.

"Is this better?" The Doctor asked with a smirk.

"What's going on?" Rixel frowned. "Who are you?"

"Ah, that's the question of the hour, isn't it my little Pheonix?" He clapped his hands together. "Don't worry, I'm going to answer all your questions. Just remember one thing."

The screen flickered again, this time Rose appeared in place of the Doctor. "You can't tell him until after the Pandorica."

"You!" Rixel's eyes widened. "You're the one that's been messing with my dreams!"

Rose laughed, shaking her head. "No, that was really Rose. She's sending messages from the other dimension, but that's not the point."

"Other dimension?" Rixel asked.

"Don't worry about it. That's not important right now. Right now, we are here to discuss you."

"Me?" Rixel shuddered. "Who are you?"

Rose sighed. "That's... a bit more complex. Let's start with who you are first."

"I know who I am." Rixel replied.

"Do you now?" Rose folded her arms and grinned. "Ok then, shoot."

"What?"

"Tell me who you are then!"

"I-" Rixel paused. What was she suppose to say? Her entire life story? That's not something she cared to relive, especially not in front of this ...this... whatever this was. Alien? She didn't know. She'd never heard of an alien that could change shape into anyone else, but she supposed it was possible.

"Feeling shy?" Rose laughed. "Alright, I'll tell you who you are. You're Rixel Kirii. Conqueror of the Requiem, Healer of the Sunstar virus, the Phoenix, the Light bringer and guardian of the Doctor."

Rixel scoffed. "Never heard of those last two."

Rose shrugged. "To be fair, they are same thing in your mind."

"What?"

The screen flickered again, this time showing Amy Pond. "Rixel! You're suppose to be all brilliant. You figure it out!"

"Figure what out?" Rixel shouted. "You're not making any sense! Who are you? What do you want!"

The screen flickered again to show her Martha. And again, showing the huggable Doctor. And again to show Jack. Then Trish. Then Jamie. Rory. Alistair. River. Her mother. And then if finally stopped flickering, leaving her staring back at herself.

Sixteen years had done a number on the once little red headed girl. Her hair was long, falling in curls past her shoulders. Her face was littered in freckles, not the dangerous ones from the virus, but light natural freckles that crept over her nose and splattered on her cheeks. Her eyes were a soft faded blue. Her nose was rounded, just like her mother's had been. Around her neck was the locket the Doctor had stolen off her mother's corpse when she was only a child.

"Is this better?" The Rixel on the tv asked.

Rixel stared at herself on the screen. "That's not funny. Tell me who you are right now!"

"Seriously?" The tv version sighed. "How much more clear do I need to be? I'm you, silly."

"No, you're not." Rixel clenched her teeth. "Change. Now. I don't want you like that."

The screen flickered, leaving the bowtie Doctor. "Just because I look like him doesn't mean I'm any less of you."

Rixel grabbed the edge of the bed, trying to hold back the wave of anger she felt. It was odd. She faced the Requiem, who caused her own parents death, without much anger. She hated them, sure, but she thought rationally the whole time. Well, sorta. But now, something about seeing herself like this, it angered her. Infuriated her.

"Who are you?" She demanded again.

"I told you." The Doctor said, adjusting his bowtie. "I'm you."

"That's not possible."

"You've traveled though time and space and seeing yourself in the future is impossible?"

"You expect me to believe you're me in the future?" Rixel scoffed. "Doubt it."

The screen flickered again, but instead of the Doctor changing, the background did. He was standing in the middle of a young girl's bedroom. It took her a moment, but she recognized it as Amy Pond's room. The Doctor grabbed one of the dolls from the window sill and brought it close to the screen.

"Remember this? The dolls that all looked like you?" The Doctor pointed to the necklace around the doll. "Even has your locket!"

"I didn't tell the Doctor that." Rixel narrowed her eyes.

"No, but I'm not the Doctor, remember?" He tossed the doll over his shoulder. "Oh! I know! When I was being taken out of the lab, with the Doctor and Rose, he asked me to keep my eyes closed. And being the clever imaginative girl I was, I pretended that he was Robin Hood and Rose was-"

"Maid Marian." Rixel said quietly. Now that she hadn't told anyone. She barely even remembered it herself.

The Doctor snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"

Rixel shook her head. "That proves nothing."

"Rixel, Rixel, Rixel." The Doctor sighed, leaning his head forward. "I need you to start believing. This is incredibly important."

"Why?" Rixel said. "If you're me, how come you can't just explain what's going on?"

"It's complicated." The Doctor said. "Just... close your eyes. Ok? Just close them and think about where you are."

Rixel rolled her eyes. "I'm in my parents bedroom."

"Oh, don't be silly. That's been gone for ages." The Doctor waived his hand in air, dismissing the idea. "This about where you really are. How did you get here?"

Rixel thought about it for a moment. "The Tardis?"

"Yes, yes! That's a good start! Come on now, you're clever. You're so very clever."

"I...I don't understand." Rixel said.

"I don't remember it being this hard to figure it out." The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Ok, think about this. The Dream Lord. Remember him?"

"Yeah. Kinda. That was ages ago."

"Yeah, but what happened with him?"

Rixel shrugged. "Nothing. He stole three years of my life and-"

"Exactly!" The Doctor interrupted her. "And how did he do that?"

"I don't know!" Rixel frowned. "You're not making any sense!"

"Arg! Rixel, where were you during all that?"

"I don't remember!" Rixel sighed. This was starting to frustrate her. She still didn't know where she was. Though she could still feel the golden warmth of the Tardis, she didn't understand why it looked like this. Or why the tv was talking to her. "The lab. At the end of the world."

"And!"

"And... the Tardis." Rixel shook her head. "What's it matter?"

"But you weren't there, remember?"

"What?"

"In the Tardis! No one else could see you!" The Doctor started to pace. "They talked about how I-how you died. And they couldn't see you. You were stranded up in the center console."

"So?" Rixel asked, not really following.

"I'm trying to tell you who you really are!" The Doctor shouted.

"Then tell me!" Rixel snapped back.

"I can't! You have to figure it out for yourself!"

Rixel growled and closed her eyes. She was done with this. Whatever this thing was trying to do, she wouldn't let it. She didn't want to be here anymore. Her parents bedroom was one of the worst places in the world. She'd never see them again.

"Rixel, please, listen to me." The Doctor begged quietly. "Think about everything the Doctor's ever said to you. How you feel in the Tardis. Think about all the clues. You're the lightbringer."

Rixel turned her head away from the screen, even though her eyes weren't open. She had no idea what the thing was talking about. Yes, the Tardis felt like home, but that didn't mean anything other than it was where she practically grew up.

But it wasn't really, was it? Sure, she spent some time on there, but the majority of her time was spent off the Tardis. At the Academy. In her parents house. Even in Pennsylvania. The Tardis was just a small blip in all of it. But it always felt like home. It always felt like a part of her.

The locket around her neck started to burn. She reached up and grabbed it, but there was no pain. Instead, all she felt was the same golden warmth from the Tardis.

"The Tardis is alive." Rixel said, remembering the Doctor's words.

"Yes!" The Doctor said. "Yes, yes, keep going!"

"I'm sixteen." Rixel said. "No one has said they've seen me older than sixteen. And you just said they talked about how I died. So...I die... in the Tardis?" She opened her eyes and glanced over at the screen.

The Doctor sighed. "Death isn't the right word."

"Wait, I do die in the Tardis?" Rixel's eyes widened. "When? Is it now!"

"No, no, not yet." The Doctor sighed. "And I told you, it's not like that. Death isn't the-"

"Tell me what happens!" Rixel snapped.

"You just said it seconds ago!"

"What, that the Tardis is alive?" Rixel scoffed. "It's all I can remember. And I think he said she's special or something."

"I can't believe I was ever this slow." The Doctor grumbled, shaking his head.

"What?" Rixel jumped up to her feet. "You're calling me slow! You're the one giving me criptic clues here! I have no idea what you're getting at!"

"Just take a guess." The Doctor muttered.

"Oh, what, am I suppose to believe I turn into the Tardis or something!" Rixel growled, turning away from the tv. "Stupid alien. I want leave. I'm through with you. Take me home."

The Doctor was quiet for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Rixel glanced back at the tv over her shoulder. "What?"

"You've been able to jump through time and space on your own and you're calling me stupid?"

"Hmph." Rixel turned back away from the tv. When the Doctor didn't say anything more, she looked back at the screen. "You're serious?"

"Don't I look it?" The Doctor grinned.

"I'm the Tardis?"

"Well, sort of." He shrugged. "It's complex."

"Yeah, no, what?" Rixel frowned. "The Tardis? The machine that flies through the sky?"

He sighed. "She's not just a machine. Tardis' are grown. They're a life force."

Rixel stared at him. "You do realize this sounds like a stupid science fiction movie, right?"

He smirked. "We do love a good movie, don't we?"

"I'm the Tardis?"

The Doctor vanished with a flicker of the screen, showing Rose once more. "You're always with him."

"You can't be serious."

"I told you, it's complex. You'll get your answers soon. But for now, just keep it a secret."

"Then why tell me?" Rixel grumbled.

"Because." Rose smiled. "He might start asking questions."

"Who, the Doctor?"

Rose nodded. "But remember! You can't tell him-"

"Yeah, yeah." Rixel rolled her eyes. "Geez, I thought I was more clever than needing to tell myself something a million times."

Rose laughed.


	54. midnight

**Tardis**

Just like that, of course, Rose was gone. The room was gone. The tv was gone. And Rixel was alone again. Expect this time, she was in the Tardis.

She decided not to think too hard about that one.

"Doctor?" Rixel looked around the empty control panel room. It was the coral Tardis. So no luck for it to be the bowtie Doctor. Too bad. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment and sure could use him.

Maybe she was teleported back to where she was before the weird Rose dream? Rixel shuddered. She hoped not. The Master had been there. Her jaw hardened at the thought of him. That jerk. And she thought he was her friend! She told him about her life! Her travels with the Doctor! She almost even told him about C-14!

Rixel pushed open the door to the Tardis and walked outside. Thinking about the Master would only make things worse. Outside, the Tardis seemed to be in a giant glass stadium. It was incredibly well decorated, and many people we milling about, though most in attire more suited for a beach. She was about to turn around and go back in the Tardis when she heard Donna's voice.

"I said no!"

Rixel looked around the room for the source, but she couldn't see Donna. At least, not at first.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

Rixel grinned as she spotted Donna across the room. She started walking over there. It surprised her that no one seemed to notice just how loud Donna was talking.

"Oh, I'm safe! It says in the brochure that – oh! Guess who's here!" Donna looked up and smiled as Rixel crossed over towards her.

Rixel waved lightly at her, and looked around for the Doctor. Donna appeared to be alone.

"It's Rixel, you moron. Who else would it be?" She covered her hand over the phone. "The Doctor's about to take off some silly boat ride so it's just you and me."

Rixel smiled. "That works." She could use a moment to gather her thoughts before dealing with this Doctor. After all, her brief encounter with him still wasn't enough to make up for the years she'd been without him.

"No, no, she'll stay with me...No one cares about silly cliffs or...I'm just sayin that she...oh, fine. I'll ask." Donna lowered the phone once more. "He wants to know if you wanna join him."

Not even half a second ago she wanted to stay away from him, but the moment Donna suggested that she could go, a strange electric buzz raced through her. Rixel wanted to see the Doctor. More than anything.

Rixel bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"You sure? A boring sightseeing tour?" Donna raised an eyebrow.

Rixel nodded again.

The woman put the phone to her ear. "Yeah. She'll go." She paused for a moment, then glanced over Rixel. "No, she seems fine. Why?"

Rixel frowned. Great. What was he asking about her? She looked down at herself. Her attire was less than appeasing, that was for sure. She hadn't had a chance to change from the lab. Wow. Had she really been working there just minutes before?

Donna placed the phone down and looked up at Rixel. "Better go meet him. Ships leaving soon." She pointed behind Rixel. "Down that hall, port 42. You can't miss it."

Rixel smiled at Donna. After a short hesitation, she reached forward and hugged her. "I missed you!"

"I just barely saw you!" Donna laughed. "Though I suppose you were a big younger."

Rixel sighed and straightened back up. "Sorry."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Get going you crazy girl or he'll leave without you!"

* * *

Rixel was nervous. She wanted to see the Doctor again, but she didn't. Especially this Doctor. He was the one that always seemed to get upset with her, didn't he? She took in a deep breath. It didn't matter. He was the closest thing she had to family left. She wanted to see him and there was nothing wrong with that.

She saw him standing at the entrance to the ship. He waved her over with a smile. That was a good sign. Rixel smiled back and jogged over towards him.

"Rixel! Nice to see you!" He gave her a one armed hug then ushered her towards the ship.

"What is this place?" Rixel asked, taking one last look out the door before it closed behind them.

"Planet called Midnight. Wonderful planet. Deadly to anything living, but guaranteed one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen." He winked at her.

Rixel couldn't help but giggle. He seemed nice to her. She liked it. This was the Doctor she missed. The fun, loving, happy Doctor that wanted to show off the universe to her. She liked that.

They were lead to their seats and after a few warnings and safety procedures, and the Doctor messing with the tech so they'd have a long quiet shuttle ride, Rixel finally found herself actually relaxing. This was a big deal, she realized. How long had it been since she didn't live each moment terrified of an oncoming threat? The Requiem was a constant nightmare. The Futurekind was better, but not much. So many years where she lived in fear every waking moment, and now she was back with the Doctor in the safest place possible. Well, the Tardis was probably – Rixel shuddered. Yeah. She wasn't ready to think about that yet.

"Rixel!" The Doctor turned towards her with a grin. "You're much older than the last time I saw you. How are things with you?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How much older?"

He looked her up and down. "Oh, two or three years I'd say. Last time I saw you we were at the Library."

Rixel thought for a moment. Oh, the library. Had that really only been a couple of years ago? It felt like a lifetime ago. She nodded slowly. "River."

"Yeah." He frowned. "You never did tell me who she was."

Rixel looked up at him and grinned ever so slightly. "Spoilers."

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

She laughed. Next time she saw River, she had to thank that woman. Wow, she hadn't realized how much she missed everyone. Martha, River, Rose... The red headed girl looked up at the Doctor. "Last time you saw me, you were mad at me."

He nodded slowly. "I was just worried about you."

"I know." Rixel replied. "But the last time I saw you, just a few moments ago... it was the first time I'd seen you in two years."

"Really?" He tilted his head. "Where'd you pop off to?"

She laughed again. "Saving the world."

"Is that right?" He grinned. "My little Rixel's all grown up."

"Hey!" Rixel punched him in the arm. "I'm not your little anything. Especially not your daughter."

A strange flash of panic flashed through his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a small chuckle. "Yeah. Not at all."

Rixel paused. "Obviously Pennsylvania has already happened for you."

He looked away. "I try not to think about it."

She rolled her eyes. "You would-"

"Would anyone like to see slides of Midnight?" An older gentleman got up to his feet.

Rixel and the Doctor both glanced over at him. She wanted to tell him no, that she was here with the Doctor and she needed to talk with him, but the Doctor had other plans.

"Oh! That sounds brilliant!" He jumped up to his feet to help set up the projector.

Rixel watched him go with a frown on her face. So much for her one on one time with him. Oh well. She supposed that she was still here with him. That was more than she ever expected again. And she'd be with him forever. She shuddered. That still didn't sound right.

"Boring trip with your dad?"

Rixel tilted her head back to see a boy popping his head over her chair behind her. She smiled up at him. "Something like that."

He moved off to the side so she didn't have to look straight up at her. "Me, too. 'Cept I got both of them. It's a real drag."

She grinned and held her head out. "Rixel."

"Jethro." He shook her hand, snapping his fingers after he did so. "Where you from?"

She laughed. That was a far more difficult answer than he knew. She decided to not to say 'Earth' since she had no idea what year it was and if Earth even existed anymore. "Just some silly backwater planet. You?"

He shook his head. "Same." He glanced around for a moment, then got up and came around to the empty seat next to her. "Mind if I sit here?"

She shook her head. "Go ahead. I think he's going to be busy for a while. He does love chatting with strangers."

"You don't get much stranger than my parents." Jethro rolled his eyes.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, the Doctor finally came back over to Rixel. Jethro and her had a nice long conversation, but he'd since left to go bug the hostess for some snacks. She was left to curl up in her seat and attempt some sleep. It wasn't comfortable, but it was better than anything she'd had in years.

"You enjoying yourself?" The Doctor asked as she sat down next to her.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "I don't think I've ever been on a real vacation before. Without incident of course."

He grinned. "Nice, isn't it?"

She nodded and closed her eye again. "Bit odd."

"Yeah." He shrugged.

Rixel opened her eyes. "Think we can-"

The soft hum of the engine faded and the vibration of the shuttle movement stopped beneath them. Rixel glanced past the Doctor to the Hostess, but she didn't seem to notice. Or care.

"We've stopped. Have we stopped?" Someone said.

"Are we there?" Another asked.

"Crusader vehicles never stop." The older man said.

"It's alright. Just stay in your seats. It's a small delay." The Hostess said. She turned to the intercom.

"A pit stop maybe?" Someone asked.

"No, there's not pit to stop in." The older man said. "I've been on this expedition 14 times, they never stop."

The Doctor turned back to Rixel. "You alright?"

"We've only stopped." Rixel said. "If I can take on the end of the world, I think I can handle a broken down shuttle."

"We've broken down!" Jethro laughed. "In the middle of nowhere!"

"That's enough, stop it!" Someone yelled at him.

"Stay here." The Doctor patted Rixel's arm and headed off to the hostess.

Rixel sighed and closed her eyes again. Unguarded sleep was a luxury she hadn't realized she missed. A silly broken down vehicle stopped in the middle of a tourist planet wasn't going to deter her from it.


	55. copycat

**Midnight Shuttle**

She must have fallen asleep again because she soon felt the Doctor shaking her shoulder. Rixel groaned, opening her eyes.

"Rixel, I need you to get to the back of the shuttle."

She rubbed her eyes and glanced up at him. "What?"

"Trust me." He glanced over his shoulder, then back at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just waking up." Rixel mumbled.

"She's not copying her!" Someone shouted out. "Why not? Why is she so special?"

Rixel thought she heard a soft echo, but her head was still groggy from sleep she didn't think anything of it. "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it." The Doctor said, pulling her up to her feet. "Off you go."

"She's not copying you." Jethro said as Rixel walked back toward him. "Look." He pointed off behind her.

Rixel turned to see the Doctor kneeling down beside a woman. She recognized the woman as a passenger, but didn't know her name. "What's going on?" She asked.

"She's copying all of us." Jethro said. "Dunno how she's doing it."

Rixel noticed that when Jethro spoke, so did the woman. Her lips moved to the exact words Jethro was saying, just as he said them.

"We should throw her out." The Hostess said.

"Don't be ridiculous." The Doctor replied.

"Look at her! Look at her eyes! She killed Joe and she killed Clyde and we're next!" The Hostess shouted.

Rixel looked back at the Hostess. Killed someone? What had she slept through? She looked back at the woman, who was still repeating everything everyone was saying. It sent a chill down her spine.

"You alright?" Jethro asked.

Rixel nodded.

"Just throw her out already!" Someone shouted.

"No one is getting thrown out!" The Doctor yelled.

"There's an air pressure seal. It'll stay open for six seconds. Enough time to throw someone out." Someone said.

"Will it kill her?"

"I don't know. She's got a body now. It would kill the physical form."

Rixel turned to Jethro. "What the hell is going on?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. One minute there's bangs all over the ship, the next the front half has been completely cut off. Then this woman starts copying everyone here."

"We need to throw her out!" The Hostess said.

The Doctor jumped up to his feet. "Listen! All of you! This is a life form over here. You can't just kill it! Could you actually murder her? Any of you? Really?"

"Kill her for just copying you?" Rixel asked Jethro. She watched as the woman repeated everything the others were saying still.

He nodded eagerly. "Whatever it is, it killed the captain."

"I'll do it." The Hostess said.

"So would I." Another said.

"I think we should." Someone else said.

"What?" The Doctor shouted.

"Ok, I think we all need to calm down!" Rixel interrupted, raising her voice. "She's not exactly hurting anyone, is she? It could be a coincidence that the Captain died. Seriously, we all need to just relax!"

"It's not copying her!" An older woman said, pointing at Rixel. "Did anyone else see that? It's not repeating her!"

"I saw it!" A man said. "You're with her, aren't you! You're one of them!"

"Throw her out, too!" The hostess said.

"What?" Rixel gasped.

Jethro just laughed.

"No one is throwing anyone out!" The Doctor stormed over and stood defensively in front of Rixel. "And if any of you lay one finger on her, I'll personally make sure the rest of your life is not worth living."

Everyone took a step back from him. The shuttle went silent. Rixel swallowed loudly in her ears. Everyone was glaring at her and the Doctor. She wanted to say something, but she was suddenly scared. Forget the Requiem and the Daleks and Titanic, this was here and now. It didn't matter that she was older. She was trapped on a shuttle in the middle of a deadly planet with a mob that wanted to throw her outside. Her death was literally standing a few short feet away from her.

"She stopped, you know." Jethro finally spoke.

Rixel turned her head. The woman wasn't speaking with him.

"When did she...no, look. She's still doing it." The Doctor said. His words were spoken with the woman.

"What about me, is she...Look! Look at that! She's not doing me!" A man said.

"Mrs. Silvestry?" The Hostess laughed. "Nor me!"

"Sky? What are you doing?" The Doctor asked, taking a step towards her.

"She's still doing him!" One of the girls pointed out.

"Doctor, it's you. She's only copying you." The older man said.

The Doctor turned and looked at Rixel. "Don't say anything, got it? Not even a word."

Rixel froze. She wanted to ask why not. She needed him to tell her that everything was okay and there was no reason to be worried.

"Rixel, do you understand?" He demanded.

She nodded slowly.

"Good." The Doctor turned back to Sky and walked over towards her.

Jethro stepped over to Rixel. "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"You don't have to answer, obviously. But I'll make sure they don't throw you out."

She smiled it at. It was a nice offer, even if it was incredibly odd. She glanced back at the Doctor.

"Do we have a deal?" The woman said.

"Do we have a deal?" The Doctor repeated.

"She spoke before him!" Someone said. "Did you see that?"

"I saw it!"

"Oh, look. I'm ahead of you." The woman said.

The Doctor repeated what she said a half second after her.

"He's copying her." Jethro said.

"Doctor? What's going on?" One of the girls asked.

"I think it's moved." The woman said, getting up to her feet. The Doctor repeated her. "I think it's moved. It's letting me go."

"Mrs. Silvestry, is that you?" The Hostess asked.

"Yes, yes it's me." The woman replied, with the Doctor still repeating her. While the woman walked over towards the group, the Doctor remained sitting on the floor where he was before.

"They're separating." Jethro looked over at Rixel.

The red headed girl shuddered. She wanted to run over to the Doctor, but she was afraid. That woman stood between them.

"It's passed onto the Doctor." Jethro said. "It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone into him."

"No, that's not what happened." One of the girls said.

Rixel looked up at the girl who spoke. She liked that idea. It sounded more reasonable. She didn't like how the strange woman was now moving closer to them.

"I can feel again." Sky, the strange woman, grinned. "I'm coming back to life."

"He's still copying you." Someone pointed back at the Doctor.

"Help me." Sky said, her words echoed by the Doctor. "Please, get me away from him!"

The older man stepped forward and took Sky's hand, pulling her back to the group. Sky glared at Rixel for a moment, before grinning at the older man. "Thank you."

Rixel pushed passed Jethro and raced over towards the Doctor. She knelt down in front of him. Her eyes searched his face, but he seemed to stare straight through her. His voice came out as an echo of the words Sky said.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't breathe. I must have scared you all so much." Sky said.

"It's all right. There you are. Everything's alright now. It's gone." A man said.

"I wouldn't touch her." The girl who Rixel agreed with spoke up again.

"But it's gone now, Dee Dee." Someone said. "It's passed into him."

"That's not what happened." The smart girl named Dee Dee said.

Rixel wanted to tell everyone to listen to her, but she didn't dare speak. Not when the Doctor told her not to. Instead, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Is he okay?" Jethro asked, standing behind the Doctor.

"The Doctor can't move. It's possessed him now." Someone said.

"It's inside his head." Sky said.

"It's inside his head." The Doctor repeated.

"It killed the driver." Sky said.

"It killed the driver." The Doctor said.

Rixel bit her lip. She hated this. She wished she could do something.

"And now it wants us." Sky said.

The Doctor's eyes seemed to focus in on Rixel. Sadness filled up behind them. "And now it wants us."

"Stop it!" A man shouted. "Make him stop! Make it stop!"

"She's saying it!" Dee Dee said. "It's not him, it's her!"

"The thing repeats!" One of the men shouted. "He's repeating her! It's in him now!"

"Rixel?" Jethro knelt down behind her. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Do you think it's in him?"

Rixel stared back into the Doctor's eyes. He seemed to be looking right back at her now. She couldn't understand it. He wasn't moving or acting like himself. He was repeating her. But she could still feel that golden warmth inside of him. That little feeling of the Tardis that she'd never felt from him before was there. She shook her head.

"You're on his side!"

"No!" Dee Dee said. "It's the voice! Look at him! It's not possessing him, it's draining hm!"

"It went from him to her!" Another woman shouted. "Everyone saw it! It's in him now!"

"I saw her steal his voice!" Dee Dee shouted.

"She's right!" Jethro stood up. "It's Sky, not the Doctor!"

"They're as bad at him!" Someone shouted. "Shut them up!"

"Don't speak about my son that way!" A man yelled.

"That's how he does it." Sky and the Doctor said. "He makes you fight. Creeps into your head. Listen. Just listen. That's him inside your head."

"Get him out of my head!" A woman cried.

"Throw him out!" Jethro's dad shouted.

"No!" Jethro shouted.

"Don't just talk about it! Grab him!" Someone else shouted.

"Throw him out!" Sky said.

"Throw him out!" The Doctor said.

"Now!" Sky said.

"Now!" The Doctor repeated.

One of the bigger men marched over to the Doctor and grabbed his arm. Rixel growled and jumped up to her feet. She glared at the man, causing him to let go of the Doctor for a moment. Then the man's face grew dark. "Listen here girl, nothing against you and yours, but this isn't your friend anymore. It's a possessed thing that will try and kill you."

"It's her father!" Jethro shouted. "Dad, leave him alone! You wouldn't let them throw me out!"

The man glared down at Rixel. He hesitated for a moment, then pulled the Doctor up to his feet. "I'd want to be dead if I was possessed."

"Dad, no!" Jethro clawed at his father, but the man was too strong. He started to drag the Doctor towards the back.

"Don't!" Dee Dee shouted.

"We have to do this!" The hostess said. Her hand was on the button next to the door.

"Come help me!" Jethro's dad demanded.

A woman came over and grabbed the Doctor's arm. The older man joined them, grabbing the Doctor's legs so he was completely off the ground.

Rixel had been watching the scene in front of her with shock. She couldn't imagine that people could be so ...so... vicious! Her body was frozen to the spot, unable to move or act or anything. All she could do was stare at the cold heartedness of everyone.

Jethro pushed her from behind, snapping her out of it. "You have to do something!"

Rixel stumbled forward, blinking. Her head snapped up. Jethro was right. "Stop!" She shouted.

"Jethro, get over here and help me!"

"Dad, look!" Jethro pointed at Sky.

"Let go of him this instant!" Rixel growled, stepping towards them.

The woman dropped the Doctor instantly, letting his hand fall to the floor. "I...I'm sorry."

"I said, let him go!" Rixel shouted.

"Don't tell me what-"

"Dad!" Jethro interrupted. "Look!"

Finally the man turned to look at Sky.

"I'll give you until the count of three to let her go!" Rixel shouted.

As the red headed girl spoke, so did Sky.

"It's her!" The Hostess said, pointing at Rixel.

"One!" Rixel said, shortly followed by Sky.

"No, it's Sky!" Dee Dee said. "I told you it was her!"

"But she's copying her now!" The older man said. "It is Sky!"

"I'm not throwing out a woman!" Jethro's father said.

"Two!" Rixel clenched her hands into fists at her side.

"Dad! It's Sky! Do something!"

The Hostess slammed her hand into the button next to the door. She grabbed Sky by the arm as the door opened, filling the shuttle with blinding light. "Three." The Hostess said, grabbing Sky into a tight hug. One second they were there, the next they were completely blinded by the light. The doors shut, leaving the shuttle with two less people.

The Doctor fell to the floor as everyone released him.

"What did she do that for?" Jethro's dad shouted.

Rixel and Jethro ran over to the Doctor.

"Are you okay?" She placed a hand on his chest.

"I'm okay. It's alright. It's gone. I'm okay." The Doctor sat up, breathing heavily.

"She saved him!" Jethro said, staring at the closed door.

"She did it!" Dee Dee shouted.

Rixel hugged the Doctor. "Are you sure?"

He patted her back lightly, then got up to his feet. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Rixel went to follow after him as he sat down, but Jethro dragged her off to the side.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said, staring at the Doctor. "I should go and see-"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jethro asked.

"I said, I'm fine." Rixel turned to look at him and was surprised to see his face was slightly pale and fearful. "Why? What's wrong?"

He paused for a moment, then shifted. "You know those old stories about the crazy diseases that wiped out huge civilizations and all? Bubonic Plague, Casterdonian Flu, Sunstar Virus?"

Rixel froze. She never expected to hear about the Sunstar Virus again in her lifetime. Especially not from some random person on a shuttle that had nothing to do with it.

He leaned forward, placing his lips near her ear. "You've got red freckles on your face."

Rixel gasped and took a step back.

His face quickly changed to a forced smile. "It could be nothing, of course. Trick of the light. Maybe I just didn't notice it before. Maybe it's just how your face flusters when you get scared. I just thought I should tell you."

Rixel stared at him for a moment. He had to be mistaken. This didn't make any sense. No, no, he was definitely mistaken. He was wrong. She shook her head and headed off to the Doctor.

"I'm so sorry." Rixel said, sitting beside him.

"It's alright. It's over now." The Doctor said. He placed his head back against the seat. "The Hostess...what was her name?"

Rixel shook her head slowly. "I don't know."

He sighed and closed his eyes.

* * *

Donna raced over to them as they came off the shuttle. She hugged the Doctor for a quick moment, then pulled Rixel in for a dreadfully long, painful hug.

"You can let go now, Donna." Rixel mumbled into the woman's shoulder after a moment.

"I was so worried!" Donna said, stepped back and letting Rixel breathe. "What do you think it was?"

The Doctor shrugged. "No idea."

"Can't imagine you without a voice." Donna said.

This made Rixel snicker. They both looked down a her. "What?" She said with a smile. "It's funny, cuz he talks a lot. Get it?"

The Doctor reached his hand down and rubber her hair. "You haven't changed much, have you?"

"Doctor?" Donna spoke up. "I think I'm ready to go back to the Tardis now."

Rixel shuddered.

"Something wrong with that idea?" The Doctor looked down at Rixel as he noticed her reaction.

She shook her head quickly. "No, no. Everything's fine. Sounds like a good idea."

Donna patted Rixel's shoulder. "Looks like you got a bit of sun there."

"Huh?" Rixel looked up at her.

The woman reached down and dragged her finger across Rixel's cheeks. "The freckles. I used to get them loads of times as a kid. Usually after a bad sunburn. Though I don't think they were ever as red as yours."

The Doctor looked down at Rixel. The little red headed girl just forced a smile.

"Yeah. Had 'em for ages now. Got a bad burn a few trips back. The Doctor always takes me to the strangest places."

Miraculously, he seemed to accept that for the time being. He linked arms with them and headed off to the Tardis.


	56. snowed

**Tardis**

Rixel opened her eyes to find herself in the most comfortable bed she'd ever known in her life. She rolled over and looked about her room in the Tardis. This is what made it real, she realized. This moment. Waking up and still being in the Tardis. Not the end of the world. Not some underground lab or rocket station. She was really still in the Tardis.

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She'd had a dream that her locket burned and she teleported, but she wasn't sure how accurate that was. Last night, after they got back onto the Tardis, Donna and the Doctor both seemed to disappear without much to say. She guessed they were both still a little shocked. It was odd, really, the Doctor shocked. She didn't think anything would actually shock him. Terrify him for a moment, sure, but actually shock him? Naw.

Rixel walked into the bathroom as gasped at her reflection. Red freckles scattered across her face. Wow. Jethro was right. She leaned forward, running her fingers over the spots on her face. They looked so foreign, so odd, yet so familiar. She'd seen them so many times over the past few years. But never on her. It just felt, weird. She didn't feel sick or ill in the slightest. And she had the cure in her head. She supposed that if she started to feel ill, she'd just take it. How strange, though.

When she'd finish getting ready, an ordeal that she allowed herself to actually take for the first time in her teenage life, Rixel headed out into the hall. It didn't take long for her to realize that the corridors were different from the night before. This was a different Tardis. It was golden and...Rixel felt her heart skip a beat. Her feet started running before she even realized what was going on. She skidded to a halt at the top of the small staircase.

There, standing down below her fiddling with the controls, was the bow-tie Doctor.

She gasped and darted down the stairs. He turned to look at her just as she crashed into him. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she hugged him. She breathed in deep, taking in his smell. Oh, his glorious smell. Tears even started to fill her eyes. He was here. He was in her arms. She could feel him and smell him and hold him. He was here.

She was so incredibly overwhelmed at the sight of him she didn't notice his reaction to her at first. But once her initial shock started to fade, she realized he was holding her with the same desperation that she shared.

"Doctor?" She didn't want to break the moment, but his reaction worried her.

"Oh, Rixel." He said quietly. "You keep coming back."

"Of course I do." She pushed herself away from him.

This seemed to flip a switch in the Doctor. He grinned down at her then went back to prancing about the control panel as if nothing happened.

"So..." Rixel sauntered around the ring of the control panel as she watched him. "Anything new?"

"New for you?" the Doctor shrugged. "No idea."

"Right." She leaned back up against the railing and folded her arms across her chest. "Where's Amy?" She hoped Amy wasn't a subject that was unmentionable like Rose.

Before the Doctor could reply, Amy piped up. "Down here!"

Rixel looked down through the transparent floor to see a soft movement of red. A few moments later, Amy bounced up next to the Doctor.

"You always pop in around here?" Amy asked, running her hand through her hair.

"Now, Amy, Rixel is always a welcomed guest. She just can't always control when she comes around." The Doctor paused for a moment, then went back to the controls.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Amy asked.

"Dunno! Haven't thought about it." The Doctor grinned.

"Where's Rory?" Rixel asked as she looked about the control room.

"Who?" Amy asked.

"Oh!" The Doctor spun around and flipped a switch. "Always asking so many questions, you are, Rixel. Now I have one for you. Where would you like to go?"

"How come she gets to choose?" Amy pouted.

"Because, Amy, she does."

Rixel shrugged. "I don't really mind."

"See? She doesn't mind. I want to pick." Amy folded her arms.

"It's not your turn, Amy! Now be nice and let her pick."

"She said she doesn't mind!"

"It's still her choice."

"Doctor, I-"

"Oi!" Rixel shouted, interrupting them. She placed her hand on the rail and looked between the Doctor and Amy. "Geez, you two sound like a sitcom married couple!"

Amy snickered, but the Doctor just looked away.

Rixel stepped forward with the idea to fly the Tardis herself, but an odd idea struck her. She glanced up at the center tube and frowned. Piloting the Tardis seemed...wrong. "Somewhere with snow," she finally said.

"Snow?" Amy asked.

"Ah! I know just the place! A whole planet covered in snow!" The Doctor clapped.

"Like Hoth?" Rixel asked.

"Why snow?" Amy asked again.

Rixel shrugged. "Cuz I've never seen it?"

"You've never seen snow?!" Amy looked between her and the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged as he hit random levers on the control panel. "She's an interesting girl, her."

Amy frowned. "Last time I saw you we were in a war."

"Oh?" Rixel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We were being chased around. The.. the dream lord."

"So you do know Rory, then." Rixel said.

The Doctor shook his head behind Amy.

"Who?" Amy asked.

"Here we are!" The Doctor hurried and pulled down on a lever. As he did so, the Tardis slowly faded in silence. "Planet of snow! Out we go now!"

"Whose Rory?" Amy asked.

Taking the Doctor's odd behavior and Amy's strange reaction, she decided Rory was a topic best left alone. Just like Rose. She wondered if that's what happened to all his companions eventually.

"Out we go!" The Doctor pushed them both towards the doors.

* * *

Rixel forgot all about Rory and Rose as the door opened. Outside stood a world covered in white. A chill breezed into the Tardis and she bolted out the door. Her feet crunched as they walked over the snow and she found herself spinning in circles to see all the buildings and fields completely covered in a white that sparkled.

"Now that's weird." The Doctor muttered to himself.

"What's weird?" Amy asked.

"It's all glittery!" Rixel clapped her hands together. She shivered, which brought back a horrible memory of the Titantic, but she pushed it aside. She looked up at the sky. Big clouds blotted out the sun, but the snow wasn't falling. "But not snowing."

"This isn't Coldania." The Doctor muttered to himself.

"Coldania?" Amy scoffed. "Lousy name for a planet."

"When will it snow?"

"Where are we?" The Doctor frowned.

"We should have a snow ball fight!" Amy looked over at Rixel. "Us against him?"

"Snow ball fight?" Rixel grinned. Even as a teenager, she still felt the jolt of excitement rush through her.

"No, no, no, this is all wrong!" The Doctor frowned.

"Oh, don't like the odds of girls against boys?" Amy grinned.

"This is... no." The Doctor pun around in a circle. "This can't be right. This is St. Petersburg!"

"Russia?" Rixel asked.

"We're in Russia?" Amy repeated.

"But, how? I thought..." He looked back towards the Tardis.

"Something wrong?" Amy asked.

Rixel squatted down and touched the snow. It felt cold to the touch, but not nearly as cold as she expected. It wasn't nearly as bad as the water on the Titanic those years ago. She looked up at the sky and frowned. After years of living on Earth, before and after the end of it, she's still yet to see it snow. Rain, yes. She'd seen loads of rain, especially in London. But snow? Never. She stood back up as the Doctor started to walk back to the Tardis.

"Please?" She whispered it, but somehow the Doctor heard her and stopped. "I just want to see it snow. Just once. Can we stay?"

He paused a moment, then spun around in the snow. "You want to stay?"

Rixel nodded.

"In Russia? In St. Petersburg at possibly the worst moment in all of history?" The Doctor asked.

"The worst moment?" Amy asked.

"Nineteen fourteen." The Doctor replied, still looking at Rixel. He took a step towards her. "The Russian revolution is on it's way, the start of World War I, Germany declares war on Russia, as does Hungary, did I mention World War One!"

Amy folded her arms across her chest. "When's a little war ever stopped you?"

Rixel noticed something flutter behind the Doctor and she moved off to the side to get a better look. She noticed a pair of girls, roughly her age, walking down the snow covered road. They were whispering and giggling to each other.

"Hi!" Rixel jumped up and started waving to the girls.

The two of them stopped and peered over at Rixel. Neither one of them moved for a moment, then turned back to each other and started laughing.

"Who are you talking to?" The Doctor spun around and looked over at the pair of girls. He lifted his hand up in the air and waved as well. "Hello!"

Rixel started to walk towards the girls. She jumped around in the snow a bit and noticed her feet were starting to get wet. Hm, better shoes for the weather might have been a smart idea.

"It's a bit cold out for you to be wearing that, don't you think?" One of the girls spoke up. Her voice sounded high and musical.

Rixel looked down at her simple long sleeved shirt, then back up at the two girls. They were completely formally-well dressed with rich heavy petticoats and feathery hats. She just shrugged. It was better clothes than she had during the Titanic episode. "I'm not freezing yet."

"Are you on your way to see the shooting star as well?" One of the girls asked.

"Marie!" The other girl said, hitting her shoulder. "It was a secret."

The older girl, Marie, rolled her eyes. "It fell from the sky! Everyone must have seen it!"

"Fell from the sky?" Amy glanced over at the Doctor with a frown.

He shrugged. "Wasn't us."

"A shooting star?" Rixel's eyes widened as she closed the distance to the girls. She found they looked relatively similar with light hair and blue eyes. Both of them were wearing extensive jewelry. "Where'd it go?"

The younger of the two girls sighed. "Great. You had to tell someone didn't you?"

Marie shrugged. "We think it went over by the field past the butcher's. Do you want to come?"

Rixel nodded and glanced back at the Doctor. "Can we?"

Amy sighed and looked up at the Doctor as well.

He grinned and clapped his hands together. "Sounds like fun!"

The two girls giggled and the older one stuck out her hand. "My name is Marie."

"Rixel." The red-headed girl said, shaking her hand.

"Anastasia." The other said.

"This is Amy and the Doctor." Rixel said, gesturing to her friends as they came close.

The Doctor grinned. "My, aren't you two gorgeous!"

"Doctor!" Amy elbowed him.

The two girls giggled.

"Come along, girls." The Doctor said, taking Rixel's arm in one hand and Marie's in the other. "Let's go find us a shooting star."


	57. the empress and the doctor

**St. Petersburg, 1914**

"It's not here." Anastasia frowned.

"I can't seem to find anything, either!" Marie called out.

Rixel looked down at her very soaked legs. The snow was sort of matted down around her, but patches of it stuck to her clothes, almost to her waist. She was starting to get a bit too cold for this. Still, the way Anastasia and Marie seemed to be so excited, she couldn't help but be curious herself. After everything she'd seen with the Doctor, a shooting star on the ground? A real meteorite? Never.

"I don't think it's here." Amy sighed. "It would have at least melted the snow where it landed. And this field is all white!"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."

"I'm cold." Anastasia said.

"Me too." Marie piped up. "We should go get some tea."

"Oh, I'd like that." The Doctor grinned.

The two girls looked at each other, then giggled.

Amy walked over by Rixel. "They sure spend a lot of their time doing that, don't they?"

Rixel smiled. She liked the two girls. They were sisters, obviously, but they seemed close. Usually in movies sibling were just barely friends. Even Martha didn't have the closeness with her sister that these two girls had.

"Come back to our place then?" Marie asked.

"What about the star?" Anastasia sighed.

"I might be able to help locate that." The Doctor said. "Go on! You four go get some nice hot tea and we can all meet back at the Tardis!"

"The what?" Marie asked.

"Don't worry. We'll show you." Amy patted her on the back.

Rixel looked back at the Doctor. She wasn't ready to just leave him yet, and now would be a great time for conversation alone. "I'm coming with you."

"But I thought you would want to hang out with the girls?" The Doctor said. "You know, girly time and such."

Rixel smiled and shook her head. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

He sighed and nodded, but there was a soft relief in his eyes.

"Fine. Your loss." Amys tuck out her tongue. "Let's go girls."

The two sisters giggled, then lead Amy off towards the town.

The Doctor looked down at Rixel. "Stay outside the Tardis."

"I'm not going to jump." Rixel said, understanding his warning. "I think I might be able to control it now." She wasn't sure how true that statement was, but what was the point of being the Tardis if she couldn't at least control some of her traveling?

He shook his head. "I don't want to risk it."

"Says you." Rixel stuck her tounge out. "Besides, I jumped outside the Tardis loads of times already. When I was with River and fighting the Daleks.

"River?" The Doctor's face darkened. "What do you know about River?"

Rixel shrugged. Why was it she never could talk about any of his companions? She decided to try and turn it around on him. "What ever happened to Rose?"

The Doctor quickly looked away and picked up his pace.

"Wait for me!" Rixel jumped and ran to catch up with him.

* * *

By the time the two of them reached the Tardis, Rixel was properly soaked from head to toe. It still wasn't snowing out, but the running through the snow covered field had slowly seeped water into all her clothes. Her teeth chattered as they entered the Tardis.

"Go change." The Doctor said. His voice was a bit rough, but not so much that she thought he was really mad.

"I'm fine." Rixel said.

"I didn't give you a choice. You'll freeze if you don't." He marched up to the Tardis and proceeded to fiddle with the controls.

"But I want to stay out here with you!" Rixel pouted.

The Doctor stopped for a moment, then sighed. He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and tossed it over to her. Rixel barely managed to catch it. Her fingers were so cold the metal felt like it almost shattered her fingers.

"Dry off, then." The Doctor said, turning his attention back to the controls. "Setting 5-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rixel sighed. She flipped the screwdriver on.

"You know?" He paused for a moment.

"Titanic." Rixel rolled her eyes.

"What?" His eyes widened.

She paused for a moment, then looked up at him. This must be before that for him. She bit her lip. "It's... um, a joke."

"About the Titanic?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah. Too soon?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, then he focused his attention back down.

* * *

A moment later, when Rixel wasn't entirely dry, but enough so that she didn't feel like an ice block anymore, they heard a knock at the door.

"Did you lock it?" Rixel grinned as she bounced down the path to the door.

"No. Why would I do that? Amy's coming back!" The Doctor replied.

Rixel reached the door and pulled it open. The smile slowly faded from her face as she saw not Amy or the girls, but a woman.

The woman's eyes were blue and wide, and she had light brown hair that was pulled back in a formal bun. Her dress was a bright blue, hidden under a dark heavy fur coat. Around her neck was a string of simple pearls. As the door opened, the woman took a step back, blinking.

Rixel noticed that Amy was behind her, with the two girls. Amy's face was straight, and the two girls looked almost frightened.

"It's...not possible." The woman said.

The Doctor glanced up and noticed the woman at the door. He tensed up and marched over by Rixel. "Where's Amy?"

The woman blinked, shaking her head.

"I'm here, Doctor!" Amy called out from behind, but she made no effort to move forward.

"What's going on?" The Doctor looked down at Rixel.

"You...you've regenerated!" The woman gasped. "So different!"

"I'm sorry, have we met?" The Doctor narrowed his gaze. He placed a hand on Rixel's shoulder and pushed her behind him.

"Of course. I've aged so much. You mustn't recognize me. It's me, Alexandra. Though back then I was called Alix."

"Alix?" The Doctor blinked. Then a strange flash of brilliant flashed upon his face. "Alix of Hesse! Anastasia and Marie! Oh, of course! The Romanovs!"

Rixel gasped. She'd read about the Romanovs. The Russian Emperor and his family that were killed ages ago. They made a movie about Anastasia that had that fun little song it it that she liked to sing. And that crazy bat.

But...this looked nothing like the red headed girl from the cartoon movie. And she had no idea who "Alix" was.

"You remember?" Alix gasped.

"Of course I know who you are!" The Doctor grinned. He held out his hand and shook hers. "I'm afraid we've never met before."

Alix frowned, shaking her head. "That's not possible."

"Happens to me more than you know. I'm the Doctor."

Alix frowned. "I know who you are."

"Odd." He shrugged, then stepped towards the door. Alix back up, allowing the Doctor and Rixel to leave the Tardis. He closed the door behind them.

"You don't remember then." Alix said quietly.

"Amy? I don't suppose you found that shooting star on the way back, did you?" The Doctor said, avoiding Alix's statement.

Amy shook her head.

The Doctor looked over at Alix. "Care to join us?"

Alix turned towards her daughters. "You two go on home. It's getting late. Supper will be ready soon and your brother will be needing help."

"But mother!" Marie started.

"Don't argue with me!" Alix said with such a sternly gently voice it reminded Rixel of her own mother. "Both of you, home, now."

The two girls stood there for a moment, shuffling their feet and staring at the ground, before finally giving in and heading off towards the road. Anastasia looked back once, but then quickly turned back around when her mother glared at her.

When the girls were further up the road, Alix sighed. "Empress of all Russia and still can barely keep a grip on my teenage girls."

Rixel giggled.

"Now," The Doctor turned towards Alix. "Care to go find a shooting star?"

Alix's formal demeanor changed. Her back slouched slightly and her arms folded across her chest just like Anastasia did before. "No, Doctor. I think you and I need a little chat."

"With me?" He blinked.

"Rixel and I can go look for the star." Amy offered.

"Who?" Alix glanced around until her eyes landed on Rixel. They widened slightly.

"No, no, no, no!" The Doctor looked between Amy and Rixel. "You two need to stay. Keep me company. Don't leave me alone with her!"

Alix's eyes narrowed as she smirked. "Oh, Doctor. That's not what you used to say."

Amy bursted out laughing. "Who is she?"

"Inside. Tea." Alix responded to Amy. She poked the Doctor in the chest. "We can all sit down and have a talk."

Amy opened the door to the Tardis, but the Doctor didn't take his eyes off Alix.

"In we go!" Alix shuffled the group into the Tardis. Her eyes looked over the room. "Oh, you changed the control room!"

The Doctor frowned. He moved upwards to the control and made sure to stand between them and Alix at all times.

"She knows who you are." Amy said to the Doctor.

"Doesn't mean I know who she is." The Doctor muttered back. "That's the problem with time travel. You run into people you don't know all the time."

"Like River?" Amy asked.

"You know who River is?" Rixel gasped. How could Amy know River but not Rory?

"Oh! River!" Alix clapped her hands together. "I've heard so much about her! Is she here?"

"No." The Doctor frowned. "Who are you?"

Alix's smile faded. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Would I ask if I did?"

Alix sighed. "I met you when I was eight. Outside in the garden. You saved my life from that giant shrub alien. Oh, what were they called? Photosynthians, I think."

"Never heard of them." The Doctor said.

"They were teaming up with the Kaleds in an attempt-"

"Kaleds!" The Doctor's eyes widened.

"What are they?" Amy asked.

Alix paused for a moment, then asked "What regeneration are you?"

"Eleven." The Doctor replied.

Her eyes widened for a second, then she started to laugh. "My, this is early for you, isn't it?"

"I'd hardly say a thousand year old Time Lord is early in their life." Amy said.

"I didn't mean that." Alix smiled. "It's just, my Doctor, well, that's quite a ways in your future."

The Doctor leaned back against the controls, but he still didn't seem convinced.

"There were stories you told me. About most of your regenerations, including this one. Let's see. River, of course, and the bow-tie. I remember that one. Oh how you laughed at that silly bow-tie."

"Bow-ties are cool." The Doctor said.

"Did he mention me?" Amy asked.

Alix smiled. "He talked about his companions. All of them he ever had in his life. Talked about them and how sad he was when they left." She looked up at him. "It never occurred to him that they'd give up everything just for a second longer with him."

The Doctor looked away.

Amy sighed. "Well, he doesn't tell me about his companions."

"Amy!" Rixel jumped up. "Can I show you something in the library?"

"What now?" Amy frowned.

Alix looked over at Rixel with thankful eyes.

Rixel nodded. It was obvious that Amy was only going to make the situation bad if she stuck around. As uncomfortable as the Doctor was, he needed time to talk with Alix alone. "Yeah. I got something real important to you show you."

Amy pouted for a second. "Doctor?"

"It's fine, Amy. Go with her. Rixel's great." The Doctor said with a wave of his hand. He seemed a bit upset with the information Alix had given him.

Amy sighed and pushed off from where she was standing and followed Rixel up the stairs into the hall. When they were out of ear shot, she started her complaining verbally. "Whose that woman, really? Talking to the Doctor like she knows him better than I do!"

Rixel bit her lip to keep from grinning. "Amy, you're the Doctor's best friend. She's from his future. She just knows things about him that don't even matter right now. You know him best now." It wasn't the truth, really, but she knew it was what Amy needed to hear.

Amy stopped walking and looked over at Rixel. "And you. You keep showing up. Once while I was a kid and once before in the Tardis. Why's that?"

Rixel shrugged. "That, I'm afraid, is a question even I'm not sure I understand the answer to yet."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

Rixel shook her head. "Come on. Let's go to the library."

"The Doctor told me you died."

"Oh?" Rixel tried not to seem interested. If there was anything the Doctor told her, it was that knowing her future wasn't a good thing.

"Rixel?" Amy asked. "Do you remember when you came to my house when I was little?"

Rixel nodded.

"You gave me something."

Rixel froze. She'd forgotten all about that. Her voice caught in her throat. The blue box she found in the Doctor's office.

"The Pandorica." Amy said. "Only, River mentioned the Pandorica before and the Doctor got a little upset about it."

Rixel shuddered. All she could hear was Rose's voice over and over in her head.

Don't tell him until after the Pandorica.

"It's not here, is it?" Rixel felt her heart speed up.

Amy shook her head.

"Good. Keep it locked up. Keep it safe. Keep it away from the Doctor, whatever you do!"

Amy narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"I just...he can't know yet."

"So now you're keeping secrets from him?"

"I'm not." Rixel shook her head. Her fingers reached up and started nervously picking at her locket. "It's all time stuff. He can't know yet."

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"What?"

"Your necklace." Amy replied. "It was on all those dolls in my room."

Rixel glanced down at her locket. "It's nothing. Just my mothers locket."

"Can I see it?"

Rixel flinched. It was an odd request. Normally she'd say no, but she was trying to keep Amy occupied. Besides, she wanted to stay off the topic of the Pandorica. Or River. Hesitantly, she nodded and pulled the locket off her. She held the locket for a moment, then dropped it in Amy's outstretched hand.

Amy stood there, staring at it for a moment. Her body swayed slightly, but she stayed standing. She looked up at Rixel with reddened eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rixel gasped, placing a hand on Amy's arm.

"I...remember." Amy spoke just above a whisper. "Oh, Rory."

Her eyes fluttered, then closed. Amy topped down onto the floor, dropping the locket.

Rixel fell to the floor next to her. "Amy!" She felt the girl's wrist. She still had a pulse, but her skin was burning hot. She looked back down the hall and called out as loud as she could.

"Doctor!"


	58. the start of the end

**St. Petersburg, 1914**

"Amy! Amy wake up!" The Doctor shouted.

They knelt on the floor around her, with Amy's head in the Doctor's lap. Rixel could feel her own heart racing. She didn't want Amy to be hurt. Not to mention that whatever happened was her fault. Amy touched her locket. That's what caused this.

"What happened to her!" The Doctor turned towards Rixel. "Rixel, tell me!"

"I-I-I don't know!" Rixel stuttered.

"Rixel!"

"She-she asked to see my locket!" She managed to stammer out, holding her locket out for him to see.. "She asked to see it and held it in her hands and then..."

"Then what?"

"She-she collapsed!" Rixel said. "She said something about Rory, then collapsed.

"Rory!" The Doctor focused completely on Rixel with wide eyes. "She said Rory's name?"

Rixel nodded. "Yeah. Then she collapsed."

The Doctor placed a hand on Rixel's shoulder. "She said Rory, not you?"

"Ye-yeah." Rixel said.

He looked between her and Amy. Then after a pause, he looked over towards the woman standing a few paces behind them. "Rixel, take Alix back out to the control room."

Rixel hesitated. "But what if-"

"I don't want your necklace anywhere near Amy right now." The Doctor explained, but there was a rushed sort of frustration in his voice.

Rixel flinched and got up to her feet. His words felt more like an attack than a precaution. She snorted, the turned and marched over by Alix. "Come on," she muttered.

Alix followed behind her as they went into the control room. Once there, Rixel flopped down on the chair and folded her hands across her chest.

"He's not intentionally leaving you out, you know." Alix said as she leaned up against the rail.

"I don't care."

"Well, obviously you do. And I don't entirely blame you." Alix paused for a moment. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Rixel." She pouted.

Alix sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Rixel blinked. Her arms relaxed a bit and she sat up. "What?"

"It's just, the Doctor." Alix shrugged. "He talked about you once before. It was only for a moment in one of his darkest hours, but it was something I'll never forget."

Rixel bit her lip. The Doctor in the future talked about her? "Was I there?"

Alix smiled slightly and shook her head. "Not...exactly."

"Huh?"

Alix paused for a moment. "Do you...know who you are?"

"You mean the whole 'Conqueror of the Requiem' thing?"

Alix shook her head. "I mean the other thing."

The other thing? Rixel thought for a moment. Surely she couldn't mean... Her eyes flickered up to the center of the Tardis.

"Ah, so you do know." Alix said.

"You know about that?!" Rixel jumped up to her feet.

"I never expected to meet you, of course." Alix said with a small smile. "But honestly, you saved our lives more times than I can imagine."

"You know about that?" Rixel repeated.

Alix laughed. "I take it you just found out? He said he thought you knew about it for a while."

"Just barely." Rixel shook her head. "But...I never thought anyone else would know about it!"

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." Rixel said, then with a shrug added "Ish."

"Mm." Alix frowned slightly.

"Yeah, because that reaction makes me feel good."

Alix looked up at her and forced a smile. "Rixel, dear, you are the most important thing in his life. Forever and always. Don't ever feel disappointed about it."

Rixel looked down at her feet. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. It was still such a new concept that she hadn't really allowed herself to believe it yet. After all, how could she be the Tardis? She met the Doctor when she was just a kid. Sure, she practically grew up with him, but there were so many gaps in her time line without him. So much she didn't know about him. "I've heard...Amy mentioned the Doctor said I died."

Alix swayed for a moment. "Death is only a gateway. Technically, you live forever. Like the Doctor."

"You know this?"

"I know this." Alix smiled softened. "He thought very highly of you. Still does. Always will."

Rixel looked up at her. "Did you love him?"

"What, the Doctor?" Alix gasped. She laughed for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, if you can only imagine. A poor distressed royal girl wishing for a way to escape reality. Hardly the type of person that one feels sorry for. Oh, but I was only a little girl. I loved the dresses and the parties, but I hated my life. Even as a teenage girl it was so fake. And heartbreaking. The man I loved, his family didn't want anything to do with me and he was promised to another. But then in walked the Doctor. He took me to the farthest reaches of space and time. He showed me everything there was to see and more."

Rixel smiled as she listened to Alix. It was a reflection of how she felt, really.

"This one time," Alix giggled. "We went to a planet made entirely out of musical rocks! Can you imagine it? Every step you took, every rock you touched, gave off a sweet musical sound. Oh, we danced for hours and hours there, making our own music. It was just so...magical."

"That sounds amazing." Rixel grinned.

Alix sighed, then shook her head. "But it was so many years ago."

"Tell me about-" Rixel started.

"All better!" The Doctor announced as he and Amy came into the room.

Rixel glared up at him.

"Sorry." Amy said. "I'm not sure what happened there. Must be a bit sick is all."

"Nothing to worry about!" The Doctor bounced down to the controls and started fiddling with them.

"What about Rory?" Rixel asked the Doctor.

"Who?" Amy asked.

Rixel looked at her with worry. "You know-"

"Rixel!" The Doctor interupted. "How about you fetch us some tea?"

She glared at him again. "What am I, your servant?"

"Doctor?" Amy asked. "Whose Rory?"

"No one, Amy." The Doctor said, though he stared back at Rixel. "Don't worry about it."

"Doctor. Tell me." Amy demanded.

"He's not important right now, Amy!" The Doctor blinked and looked away from Rixel.

Rixel frowned and looked down at the ground. Great. So now Amy was forgetting things? Why wouldn't he just tell her what was going on so she didn't end up making things worse? Why did he always have to be so secretive with everything!

Rixel flinched forward as she felt a burning in her chest. She glanced down as her fingers scrambled to pull the locket out from under her shirt.

Alix gasped at the sight of it. "The locket!"

"What?" The Doctor spun around towards Rixel.

Rixel looked up at met his gaze. "I'm jumping."

The anger washed out of his face. He took a step towards her, then forced himself to stop. "Ri-now?"

Rixel nodded. Her eyes snapped shut as she felt the pain overtake her. It still surprised her how much it hurt. Even as a teenager, she felt like she might cry.

* * *

And then it was over. Rixel opened her eyes to find herself sitting in a dark room. She could hear clicking and loud noises all around her, but she couldn't see anything. She tried to stand up, but something was holding her down. Rixel twisted and turned, but she was strapped into the chair.

"Hello!" She called out. Her voice was lost over the loud clicking. It sounded like gears in a clock, but much, much louder. She struggled harder, but her straps held on tightly. "Let me out!"

With a hiss, the clicking stopped. Rixel waited there in the silence that rang in her ears for a few endless seconds, and then the humming began. A strip of solid pure light poured into her eyes. She closed them and tried to turn away. Even with her eyes shut, the light was incredibly bright. The hissing continued as the doors slid open in front of her. It wasn't for a full minute after the door started to open that she heard his voice.

"Rixel?" The Doctor screamed. "Rixel! Are you alright?"

Her heart filled with joy. Of course, he came for her. He came to rescue her. He'd always come for her. She turned towards the light, but her eyes still couldn't adjust to the brightness. She struggled to try and open them. "Doctor? Doctor, I'm here!"

"Rixel!" He called back. "Listen, everything is going to be alright!"

A small fear began to rise in her chest. "Doctor?"

"It's okay!"

"DOCTOR!"

Rixel felt the blood drain out of her face as she heard the one voice she never expected to hear again. That hollow robotic voice that could only come from one thing – a Dalek.

"Doctor!" Rixel cried out again. She forced her eyes open, blinking furiously.

"It will be alright, Rixel!" He replied. It sounded like he was getting further away.

"YOU WILL REMAIN SILENT!" The Dalek said.

"Doctor! Let me out!" Rixel pulled on her restraints. She blinked, trying to bring the world into focus. She could see things moving about, but they were all blurry blobs.

"You will obey or the Doctor will be deleted!" Another robotic voice cried out, but this wasn't from a Dalek. It sounded more like an echo from the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz.

"What?" Rixel squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then opened them. She could make out the bow-tie Doctor, barely, but he was behind some people. There was a crowd in all in front of her.

"Rixel, just do as they say!" The Doctor called back. "They won't hurt you!"

"What?" She felt her heart speed up. She could now make out the Dalek, and the tall silver robot and many other types of aliens. "Doctor!"

"Remain silent or we will kill your Doctor!" One of the aliens said with a flat angry voice.

Rixel bit her lip. Her body started to shake. He wouldn't leave her, right? He couldn't possibly just leave her?

"It's be alright!" The Doctor said again. "You'll be safe!"

"Get her out!" The angry alien said.

Rixel's eyes finally began to focus. She could see the Doctor, but he was being held by two tall strong looking aliens. His face was full of panic. Around him were dozens of different types of aliens, including the Daleks.

One of the giant tin-like robots stepped forward with a hydrological hiss. It's arms reached out and pressed against her wrist restraint. For a moment, it tightened on her, then all the restraints released. She jumped up to run to the doctor, but the robot held her back. She wanted to call out to him, but she held her tongue. Instead, she reached towards him.

"No!" The Doctor called out. "You hurt her and this is over! Let her go!"

The robot seemed to obey, and let go of Rixel. She pushed past the aliens and wrapped her arms around the Doctor. Her was still restrained so he couldn't hug her back, but he rested his head down on hers.

"It'll be alright, Rixel. I swear to you." He said.

"Doctor, what's going on? I just jumped here." She said, holding him as tight as she could.

"I know." He said softly. "Oh, Rixel, I know. I'm so sorry."

"PUT THE DOCTOR IN THE PANDORICA!" The Dalek shouted.

Rixel was pushed away from the Doctor. "Doctor!"

"It'll be alright, Rixel!" He called back as the aliens took him towards the giant door she'd just come from. Only it wasn't a door. It was a big dark box with circular symbols of the side. "Find Amy!"

"No, Doctor!" She stepped towards him, but was restrained by one of the aliens like those that had been in Luke's office so many years ago. She was so worried about the Doctor she couldn't even think about Luke at the moment.

"Find help!" The Doctor called out. He was pushed down into the chair and the restraints clicked on, holding him in place. "Get Amy and River! They'll figure something out!"

The aliens backed away. As they did so, the doors hissed as they started to close.

"No!" Rixel lunged forward, but was still restrained. Tears started to fill in her eyes. "Doctor!"

He looked around his prison frantically. "It'll be alright, Rixel! You'll be fine!"

"TAKE THE GIRL!" The Dalek shouted.

The Doctor jerked against his restraints. "No! No, you promised! Leave her alone! Rixel!"

The Dalek started to move towards her and she decided now was the time to run. She stomped down on the alien holding her, then ducked under his arm to find the air hole behind his head. She slapped her hand over it, causing him to let her go. She wanted to run to the Doctor, but the Dalek was in the way.

"Run!" The Doctor called out as the door closed. "Find Amy and River! Run and don't-"

The doors hissed closed, blocking off all sound from within.


	59. the true pandorica

**Stonehenge, 101 AD**

Rixel dashed towards the wall, relieved to see a stone staircase leading up. She stumbled towards it, dodging under a strange rhino-looking alien.

"GET HER!" The Dalek called from behind.

"We do not need her. The Doctor is contained." The tin-robot shouted.

"BUT SHE KNOWS WHERE HE IS!"

"The Pandorica is closed. It is the perfect prison."

That was all Rixel heard before she jolted outside at the top of the stair case. Her breath came in short rasps. Wow. Years of hiding from the Requiem and then hiding in a cramped space station had taken away her stamina. She lifted her head to find Amy standing over by...rocks? Rixel straighten up. Oh, wow. Oh crap, oh wow. This couldn't be, could it? It looked like Stonehenge.

"Amy!" Rixel shook her head, dismissing the rising urge to geek out over the stones. "We have to get out of here!"

Amy turned to look at Rixel. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Rory's gone." She sniffled.

"There's no time!" Rixel grabbed Amy's hand as she ran and jerked her along behind her. Amy resisted for a few steps, then started to follow.

"Why are we running?" Amy asked.

"Daleks!" Rixel shouted back. It was the only answer she would ever need.

"But where did Rory go!?"

Rixel didn't know what she was talking about, but there didn't seem to be anyone else around the place at all. Just her and Amy.

"Where's River?!" Rixel spun around in a circle.

As if in response, the loud whooshing of the Tardis came to their ears. Both Amy and Rixel froze as they watched the blue box appear in front of them. A moment later the doors opened and River stepped out.

"Miss me?" River grinned.

Rixel pushed past her and ran inside the Tardis.

"Nice to see you, too." River said with a pout as Amy pushed her way in as well.

"The Daleks have the Doctor!" Rixel said, running towards the control panel. She should be able to know how to fly it, right? Somehow the logic seemed right. "We have to get him out of the Pandorica!"

"The what?" Amy asked, rubbing her eyes.

"How long ago did they get him?" River asked. She rushed over and joined Rixel at the controls.

"What did you just say?" Amy asked again.

"Just a few moments ago." Rixel said, grabbing the top monitor. Outside the coast was still clear. No Daleks yet.

River leaned over and glanced at the monitor for a second before heading back to her area of controls. "Did he say-"

"Oi!" Amy stomped her foot.

River and Rixel stopped and looked at her.

"Did you say the Pandorica?" Amy asked. Her face looked curious, no longer sad. It was almost as if she didn't think there was anything to be upset about in the first place.

Rixel frowned. "Yes. That's what..." She paused, taking a moment to realize what she was saying. The Pandorica. Rose's warning. Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. That's right." Amy nodded at Rixel's reaction.

"Am I missing something here?" River placed a hand on her hip.

"Rixel gave me a box when I was little." Amy said.

Rixel gasped. She'd forgotten all about that. "You still have that?!"

Amy nodded, then ran up the stairs.

"It's here?!" Rixel squeaked, but Amy was already gone down the hall.

"One of you should start telling me what's going on here." River said.

Rixel shook her head. "There was this little blue box thing and I found it in the Doctor's office and -"

"The Doctor's office?" River frowned.

"It was years ago!" Rixel growled. "I kept it as a keepsake of him!"

"How is the Doctor with the Pandorica if Amy has it?"

"Amy doesn't have the Pandorica." Rixel shook her head. "I heard the name and randomly said it one day when I gave her the box. It's nothing! Just a paperweight or something!"

River grinned. "And when have you known the Doctor to keep something as simple as a paperweight around?"

"Here it is!" Amy jumped the last few stairs down and held out the glowing blue box. It was even more beautiful than Rixel remembered.

"Oh, my." River's face fell.

"What?" Amy asked.

River held out her hands and took the box. "This isn't the Pandorica, Amy."

"So, what is it then?"

"It's something far more dangerous." River lifted the box up to her ear. Her eyes almost seemed to tear up. "It's a communication cube."

"What?" Rixel asked.

River placed the cube down on the control panel of the Tardis. "And it's got a message."

"What's the message say?" Amy glanced down at the cube.

River looked up at Rixel, then over at Amy. "It's from Rixel."

"Me?" Rixel asked.

River glanced up at the center of the Tardis. She paused for a moment, then looked back down at the cube. "Its the recording from when you died."


	60. the goodbye

**Stonehenge, 101 AD**

Rixel felt the blood drain from her face. The whole room started to spin. From...when she died? So it was true then. Of course it was true, everyone dies, but when faced with it like this... it sent chills up her arms.

Amy looked over at Rixel. "Are you okay?"

Rixel took a deep breath and nodded. "Forget the cube. We need to help the Doctor."

"That's the thing." River said. "Your message, it's about the Doctor."

"Oh?" Rixel raised an eyebrow.

River looked up at the monitor. "We don't have a wide window of time. Amy, I'll need you to distract the Daleks. I'll get us flown into position."

"What should I do?" Rixel asked, looking between the two of them.

River frowned. "Nothing. You're going to jump soon."

"What?" Rixel asked. As soon as she said so, she felt the locket burning against her skin.

"Sorry, it what you said in the cube."

"But I need to help!" Rixel protested, even though the burning was starting to get too painful to ignore.

"Rixel," River sighed. "Don't worry too much. Everything will work out in the end."

It was the last thing she heard River say before she found herself staring out into an empty coral Tardis.

"River!?" Rixel called out. "Amy!"

There was no reply. No like she'd expected one, but it was hard to suddenly be alone like that. She slumped down in the chair with a sigh.

Ah, the Coral Tardis. Not exactly her favorite Doctor, but she supposed any Doctor was better than none. The Tardis felt so empty without the Doctor. She was used to this room being filled with energy and laughter and now it just felt cold and lifeless. Rixel shuddered. She spent so many dreams in this Tardis, long after she thought she'd left it for good. Being back felt...odd. It was just as perfect as she remembered it, but it wasn't the same without the Doctor.

Of course, if she really was the Tardis, that train of thought just got incredibly strange.

She shifted in her seat then leaned her elbows on her knees. Where was he? Out on a crazy adventure? Who with? Oh, she hoped it was Rose. The blond always seemed to show up in her dreams and she found she rather missed the girl.

Rixel hopped off the chair and headed down towards her room. Without the Doctor here, she didn't feel like staying. And taking a random adventure outside the Tardis just didn't entice her right now. She'd spent her years outside the Tardis. Just for now, she'd enjoy her room.

* * *

When she awoke, Rixel had no idea how long she'd slept. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes. Her body was stiff and sore, though she wasn't sure why. Part of her felt like she had to hurry up and get ready to work or to run, but the Tardis reminded her she was safe.

Wow, how fast things changed.

Rixel rolled out of bed and stumbled to get ready. She saw the red with white stripes jacket River had bought for her years ago and threw it on. It didn't look half bad. With a shrug, she headed off into the hall again.

The thing was, if she was really the Tardis, why couldn't she control when and where she jumped? Sure, she was human, but that shouldn't matter, should it? Rixel shook her head. It was all very confusing.

Just before she entered the main control room, she stopped. She heard a soft shuffling noise and perked up. Her hand touched the wall and she went to lean in and see but something stopped her. The soft golden warmth of the Tardis begged her to wait. She didn't know why.

She heard the Doctor let out a heavy sigh. Rixel's heart ached. He was sad! Something was bothering him! She wanted to run out and hug him and tell him everything was fine, but she didn't dare move. Not yet.

"I'm so sorry." She heard him whisper softly. He sighed again. "I'm so very sorry."

Rixel bit her lip. Was he talking to someone? Was there someone else there? She leaned up against the wall to bring herself that much closer to hear.

Only he didn't have anything else to say. A moment later she heard him flipping switches and the golden warmth died down. Released from her hold, Rixel took in a deep breath a took a step forward.

She saw the huggable Doctor, his back to her, fiddling with the controls. His shoulders were slumped down and his movements were slow and un-energetic. It broke her heart to see him this way.

Rixel bit her lip. Well, then she needed to cheer him up, right? "D-Doctor?"

He spun around quickly, almost threateningly so, and froze. He stared at her, glancing over her from head to foot. For a moment, she thought she saw him tremble in what almost looked like fear, but then it was gone. What replaced it worried her even more.

He gasped, a sharp painful sound, and his eyes grew red. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Rixel looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?"

Four giant steps later, he was in front of her, hugging her so tightly that she thought she wouldn't be able to breathe.

"Ow." She said as a joke.

He stepped back. His eyes were slightly red, but no longer the sadness she thought she saw before. No, now he was just incredibly lonely. And ...afraid? The scared lonely Doctor. That didn't sound right at all, but here he was.

"Doctor?" Rixel asked. "Are you alright?"

"You shouldn't be here." His voice was crackled and soft.

"Sorry. I just took a bit of a sleep." She pointed back towards the rooms. "I figured you would be okay with it."

"I just saw you..." He shook his head. "You shouldn't be here."

"I...sorry?" Rixel frowned. He knew just as well she didn't have control over when and where she jumped. "When I got here there was no one here so I-"

He flinched, leaning back.

"Yeah." Rixel looked passed him. Talk about awkward. "Whose with you? Where are they?"

He shook his head. "I'm alone now."

Rixel couldn't help but smile a little. "Yeah, right. You're never alone."

"Rixel, what just happened? I thought you- I mean, we all saw you... you know." He paused for a moment, then looked over her again. "Same jacket."

She took a half step back from him. "Doctor, you're worrying me."

He grabbed her shoulders. "Where were you last? What happened?"

She frowned. "I...I can't tell you that. It's your future."

"Rixel! What happened!" His voice grew loud, echoing in the empty Tardis.

She glared at him for a moment. "We were trying to save you. I can't say who or where or when. You'll have to deal with that!"

He stared at her for a moment. His eyes shot between hers. "Donna?"

"What?" Rixel asked.

"Where you with Donna? Or Rose? Or Martha?"

She shook her head. "No one you currently know."

Her statement caused his eyes to widen, but only for a moment. Then her reached forward and pulled her into a hug. She struggled.

"I thought I'd lost you. Forever."

Rixel allowed herself to relax. Was this just after she left...or rather he left her on Earth? No. Martha was there with him, wasn't she? Well, no. Martha stayed to watch over her while she went to stupid boring school before she ran away to the Academy. Was he really this upset when she left?

"Doctor?" Rixel asked, but he didn't pull away. "Did I just leave for academy?"

Slowly, he pulled back and looked at her. His face was almost smiling again. It was strange to see him go through such a wide range of emotions so quickly. "No." He shook his head. He didn't smile, but his eyes were starting to shine. "It doesn't matter. You're here now."

"You said same jacket." Rixel thought out loud. So this was just after Pennsylvania?

"It doesn't matter."

"And I left?" Rixel froze. Oh no. She was sixteen, the oldest anyone had ever seen her. And the Tardis, or well, she had told herself that her death or what wasn't really death was coming. Rixel stepped back. She felt her veins go cold.

"Rixel?" The Doctor said, watching her carefully.

"You saw me die." Her eyes looking towards him, but staring off into space. She couldn't focus on anything. "I died."

"No, don't." He reached forward, grabbing her hands. "Rixel, look at me!"

She blinked, forcing herself to focus on him.

"I won't let that happen."

Her lip trembled. "But it already has for you."

"But not for you." He reached up and grabbed her face, keeping her eyes locked on him. "I won't let it happen. I promise."

At that moment, her locket started to burn. All his words and all his promises meant nothing. He couldn't keep her safe. She was going to die. She was going to die and leave the Doctor and cause him to be as sad as he was now. She let out a small gasp. "You can't."

"No, I can." He shook his head. "I know what happens now, I can stop it!"

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "You can't. You can't stop it." Somehow the Requiem and the Master and all of that didn't seem too scary. None of that was ever permanent. Not really. Not like death. She was going to leave the Doctor. She swallowed. Ok, not really though, right?

"I'm always with you." She said quietly, repeating Rose's words.

"I'm going to keep you safe."

The locket was burning far too hot now. She'd be gone any second. Rixel forced her eyes open and stared at the Doctor. His eyes held a deep mixture of emotion she'd never seen in him before. Loneliness, yes, but also fear and determination and …love. He loved her. Of course he did. He was her father in a way.

She shuddered as the pain dug into her chest.

"I'm always with you." Rixel said, just before the Tardis faded to black.


	61. the calm before the storm

**Lake Silencio, 2011**

The darkness seemed to slowly inch away this time. She found herself standing in an incredibly dark hall. At the end of the hallway, she could see the stairs that ran up to the lab above. On her left was the door to her parents bedroom.

Rixel felt her heart lurch forward as she stepped to the door. The tv was on, leaving the room in a soft blue glow. There was no one on the tv, but a white line ran across it. It hummed slightly as she sat down, then vibrated as a voice spoke.

"Are you ready?" The voice was not her own, nor the Doctor's or anyone she knew, yet it sounded so familiar.

Rixel shook her head. "He needs me."

"He'll always have you." How did she know that voice?

"He's like a father to me. I can't just go. I need to stay here. With him."

"You are always with him."

"Stop with that!" Rixel shouted. Her fists balled at her sides. "I don't want to die. I don't want to become the stupid Tardis. I just want to stay as me!"

"You are you."

"Arg!" Rixel shouted and spun around. She ripped the necklace off her and threw it across the room. "I don't want to jump anymore! I just want to stay and be with him normally."

"You wish to be normal?"

"YES!" She spun around. Her eyes widened as she saw a person on the tv screen. Thought the voice was vaguely familiar before, with the image of her mother on the screen she suddenly realized that's who it was the whole time.

"But you can't be normal. You're so much better than normal."

Rixel's voice caught in her throat.

"You get the gift of eternal life. And he gets the gift of an eternal companion. There's nothing greater than that."

Rixel's throat hardened as she forced herself not to cry. "You know nothing."

"I know everything." Her mother said with a soft smile. "And so do you."  
Rixel blinked and stared out at the beach. She looked down to find her hand on the open door of the Tardis. She glanced over her shoulder to see the Tardis of the eleventh Doctor, but it was empty. Back outside, on the beach, she saw a blanket a bit away.

She took in a deep breath and walked out onto the beach. Was that real? Or a dream? She glanced back down at her hands. They were trembling. It felt real.

"Rixel!" The Doctor jumped up to his feet and waved her over.

She wanted to smile. She wanted to forget everything that was happening and just enjoy her time with the Doctor. After all, it was the bow-tie Doctor who was calling her. It had always been something she couldn't resist. Rixel picked up her pace and hurried down towards the blanket.

Rory. River. Amy. Rixel felt a giant lump catch in her throat. Would this be the last time she ever saw them? She tired to put on the best face she could. They couldn't see her upset.

River knelt up and offered her a hand. "You must be Rixel. I've heard all about you."

Rixel stared at the extended hand, then back up at River. "You're...joking?"

"You've never met?" Amy asked, seeming just as surprised as Rixel.

River blinked. "No. Why should we have?"

Rixel looked down at River. "You bought me this jacket."

"I did?"

"Yeah. In Oklahoma."

River eyed the red and white stripped jacket with a smile. "Looks like my style."

"Rixel, when is this for you?" The Doctor asked.

"You're getting big." Amy grinned.

"Yeah, you are." Rory chirped in.

"Um." Rixel shrugged. "The...Daleks? Pandorica?"

"Ah." The Doctor nodded.

River looked between Rixel and the Doctor with confusion, but didn't ask anything.

"Doctor, can I talk to you for a moment?" Rixel bit her lip.

He jumped up to his feet and stepped over Amy's legs to get next to her. "Back in a moment. Don't any of you leave."

He took her hand in his and lead her off towards the rocks away from the blankets. She shuddered, pulling the jacket closer around her. It was hot out, but she couldn't stop shaking.

"What's wrong?" His eyes looked over her with concern.

"You're... after that Doctor, right?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Last time I saw you was right after I died."

He paused for a moment. His eyes flickered down to her jacket, then back at her face. "You know about that."

"I know everything." She said quietly. "I know I'm going to die soon."

"Hey, no." His voice softened and he dropped down to her level. His hands rubbed her shoulders. "Rixel, no. Don't think like that."

"It's okay." She shrugged, but the idea still terrified her.

"No, it's not. And I promised you I would find a way to stop it." Even as the Doctor spoke, Rixel could see it in his eyes – he was lying.

Rixel took in a deep breath and forced a smile across her face. "It's okay. I just need let you know something."

She reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder without her will. Her entire body seemed to switch over out of her control. She wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Her whole being surged with the golden warmth of the Tardis.

His eyes darted between hers, filled with worry. "What?"

Rixel smirked and she repeated the words Rose had told her so many times before. "I'm always with you."

And with that, of course, her necklace started to burn.

* * *

Like any girl who lives a fantastical life only to be told she would die at 16, Rixel wasn't very calm. She imagined that death hurt, a lot, and that anything that would transfer her consciousness into the Tardis or whatever the heck was going to happen to her would be a lengthy and terrifying process. The only thing that really plagued her mind though was how?

Rixel raised her head and looked around. She wasn't in the Tardis, which took her by surprise. Instead she was standing in the middle of a street. She half expected her mother's voice or the lab in France to magically appear, but instead, the street remained silent. She took a nervous step forward. The wasn't anyone around. It was night, but she couldn't see any stars up above. Footsteps started up behind her and she turned around.

A brown haired girl with rather large eyes stepped out from the shadows and into the streetlight. She smirked as she saw Rixel.

"Hm, looks like you and I actually do get to meet." The girl's voice was full of smugness. It struck Rixel as odd. "Face to face."

"What?" Rixel furrowed her brow. "Where am I? Where's the Doctor?"

The girl paused. "You didn't come here with him?" Her smugness lessened and instead she seemed more curious. It was hard to tell.

Rixel shook her head.

"Oh. Right. I forgot what time it was." The girl smiled, but her eyes instantly glazed over with what seemed like an odd sort of sadness or sympathy.

Rixel looked around again, but her and this strange girl were the only ones around.

"He'll come for you. Don't worry." The girl walked over to Rixel. She reached out and tapped Rixel's nose with her finger. "Just keep that fiery bright mind of yours working."

"What?!" Rixel watched as the girl smirked at her, then pressed a button on her bracelet. There was a soft spark of light and the girl was gone.

Rixel frowned. Normally these odd visions left her knowing who the speaker was, and it was always someone from her past that had enough power to give her wisdom or whatever. But this girl? She'd never met her before. Never seen her before. Never-

A small spark of light and the girl appeared in front of her again. "Oh, one more thing!"

Rixel stared at her. Well, here was the horrible part where the girl turned out to be her old roommate or something, right? She looked nothing like Jessica. Oh, thoughts of Jessica brought back a painful twinge in her heart as she couldn't help but think of Luke.

The girl touched her finger to her cheek in a light and playful way. She smiled. "Thank you."

"What?" Rixel spoke again.

The girls smile widened. "For everything. Thank you, really." Another spark of light and the girl was gone again.

Rixel stood in the middle of the street, dumbfounded. She stared at the spot where the girl disappeared until she was positive she wasn't coming back. O...kay? So it wasn't someone she knew? Not a long lost cousin or someone from her and the Doctor's past? She said they were finally meeting face to face. Ug. Rixel sighed. So was this not a vision thing?

A bolt of light came down in front of her, materializing a giant shape in front of her. Rixel shielded her face. Before she could make out the shadowy figure, she recognized the voice.

"YOU WILL SURRENDER OR BE EXTERMINATED!"

Rixel forced herself to glare at the golden robot. A strange sort of hate emerged as a growl from her throat. "The hell I will!" She spat back.

Three more jolts of light flickered around her, and Rixel found herself surrounded. She spun around in a full circle.

"SURRENDER! SURRENDER!" One of the Dalek's shouted.

"You wouldn't dare touch me!" Rixel warned them. "The Doctor will come and tear you to pieces if you do."

"THAT IS WHAT WE PLAN ON!" Another Dalek said. "A TRAP FOR THE DOCTOR!"

"What?!" Rixel spun around. "No! No, you can't! That's not possible!" She took a step forward to run past them, but there was a blinding light that encircled her. When the light faded, she found herself standing on a metal ground. The air was warmer. Lifting her head, she found herself to be standing in what appeared to be a spaceship. There were several Daleks about, including one that was half open exposing what looked like a man. Rixel flinched.

"Ah! It seems we were able to find you after all!" The half man Dalek said.

Rixel growled. "Where am I? Take me back!" She took a step forward, but there was a soft tingle of electricity as a blue ripple edged out from where she touched the air. There was a beam of light around her, somehow keeping her imprisoned.

"The Daleks have worked hard to find you, Ms. Kirii. You are the greatest key to finding the Doctor." The half Dalek spoke. "I am Davros. And I will make sure the prophecy is full-filled!"

Rixel glanced around. There were far too many Dalek's for her to evade. And...ew... what was that thing up on the pedestal over there? It looked like a mushed pile of goo. She made a face. Just as she thought she couldn't stand to look at it another moment, the creepy blob spoke.

"So cold and dark!" It's voice was high pitched and sounded disgustingly delighted. "Fire is coming... the endless flame...the phoenix shall burst into fire!"

Rixel swallowed. Oh, that didn't sound too good. She turned towards Davros and tried to put on a brave face. "You'll pay for this. The Doctor will come for me."

"Oh, we plan on it." Davros replied with a sickening smile.


	62. ad infinitum

**Dalek Ship**

As she waited there, imprisoned in that beam of light, Rixel felt her heart sink. Davros was right. She could hear the hum of Daleks as they came in and out of the room. This was no small group. It was enough to kill the Doctor. And he'd come for her alright. Just like he always did.

"Oh! Do you hear it?" Davros cheered. "He's arrived!"

Rixel perked up and listened. Above all the humming and mechanical whir of the ship, she could barely make out the sound of the Tardis. Her heart caught in her throat.

"Take her to him!" Davros called out.

The beam around Rixel faded. She turned to run, but a Dalek stood behind her, pushing it's plunger towards her chest. She jumped back.

"YOU WILL GO TO THE DOCTOR!" The Dalek called out.

Rixel narrowed her eyes at the thing. "Or else what?"

"Or else we will simple blow up the Tardis." Davros chuckled.

"You can't do that." Rixel challenged him.

"Of course we can." Davros replied with a calmness that proved his point. "Care to test it out?"

Rixel paused, then looked back at the Dalek. At least she'd be with the Doctor. If she was there, she could warn him to run away. That was the best idea after all. She nodded slowly and let the Dalek lead her out of the room.

"Rixel!"

"Doctor!" Rixel called back as she entered the room. She could see the huggable Doctor, Jack and Rose standing just outside the Tardis. Her feet leaped without thinking and she ran to him. To her surprise, the Daleks let her.

The Doctor met her in a hug, but his eyes glared at the Daleks. His hand stroked her hair. "It was stupid of you to bring her here."

"WE KNEW YOU WOULD COME FOR HER!" One of the Daleks shouted.

"There's nothing to stop me from burning you all the ground right now!" The Doctor seethed.

"NOT POSSIBLE!" Random Daleks shouted out.

By the way the Doctor twitched, Rixel could tell that the Daleks were right. The Doctor was bluffing.

"Oh yeah?" Jack lifted up a giant gun that Rixel hadn't even noticed he had. "Think again!"

"Jack, don't!" The Doctor called out.

But it was too late. Before Jack could even get a shot off, a chorus of Daleks interrupted.

"EXTERMINATE!" Beams of light came from all around them and collided into Jack. Rixel turned and buried her face into the Doctor's chest.

"Jack! No, no..." Rose fell to her knees beside him.

"Rose." The Doctor said softly. "Leave him."

"They killed him." Rose sniffled.

"I know." The Doctor replied. "I'm sorry."

"THE DOCTOR WILL COME WITH US!" A Dalek shouted.

The Doctor pulled Rixel back away and glanced into her eyes. "Get in the Tardis. Fly away. Somewhere, anywhere. You flew it once before, you can do it again. Take Rose and get out of here."

"No. We're not leaving you." Rose said.

"I'm not giving you a choice." The Doctor growled.

Rixel took in a deep breath. She was shaking. Sure, she flew the Tardis before, but that was a fluke right? And how many years ago!? She didn't know if she could do it again. And Rose was right. They were all in this together. "Not without you."

"Rose. Rixel." The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. At least get inside. You'll be safe in there."

"I thought you said-" Rose started.

The Doctor shot her a look. "Not a wide window of opportunity here, Rose."

Rose looked over at Rixel, then back at the Doctor. Her voice lowered to a whisper so the Daleks couldn't hear. "You'll come join us?"

"Yes. Now go!" He shouted.

Rixel looked at Rose. Rose nodded at her, and the red headed girl raced off towards the Tardis.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" A Dalek shouted as Rixel reached the Tardis doors.

"Leave them alone!" The Doctor growled. "You wanted me and you got me. Let them go!"

Rixel opened the door and raced in. She was too terrified to stay out in the Dalek ship a moment longer. She turned and looked out towards Rose. Rose still stood back with the Doctor and took his hand.

"Rose don't leave-" Rixel was cut off as the door slammed shut. She stared at it for a moment, then pounded on it. "Doctor!"

From outside the Tardis, she could hear him calling her name. Behind her, the Tardis engines started to hum.

"Rixel?"

Rixel turned to see a startled Donna standing up by the control panel.

"The doors won't open!" Rixel pounded on them again.

"Doctor!" Donna shouted. "Open the doors!"

There was a strange metallic grinding sound from below them. Rixel looked up at Donna, fear in both their eyes. A moment later, they flew against the railing as the Tardis started to shake.

"What's going on!?" Donna yelled.

"Doctor!" Rixel shouted.

Donna cried out as sparks shot out from the Tardis control panel. Rixel staggered over towards it as best she could while the Tardis rocked in all directions. She had no idea if she could fly it normally, and trying to do so when she couldn't even stay standing didn't seem like a possibility.

The Tardis lurched, sending Rixel flying backwards. Her spine collided with the railing and she dropped down to the ground with blinding pain. She coughed, struggling to keep herself steady.

"Rixel!" Donna fell to the floor on the other side of the console from her. Sparks exploded all over the Tardis. Metal grinding sounds echoed throughout the room.

The red headed girl let out a whimper. She had to get up. She had to try and fly the Tardis. She had to try and get her and Donna to safety. She reached forward, struggling to grasp anything to pull her forward. Her head bounced off the floor as the Tardis shook and sparked fluttered into the room. Rixel blinked as her vision went bright orange.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was where she died.

The orange light in her vision grew brighter until she was forced to close them. She could hear the Tardis humming. Not it's normal engine humming, but a soft musical sound that she'd never heard before but knew instantly what it was. The Tardis was singing.

Rixel lifted her head in time to see the orange light creep back towards Donna. Coughing, she forced herself to sit up. "Donna!"

Donna yelled out.

Rixel scrambled to pull herself forward and crawled in a scurry around the console. She fell back in shock as she saw not just Donna sitting there, but the Doctor as well.

Only... he was naked.

Great. Now she was seeing things.

"It's you!" Donna gasped.

"Oh, yes." The Doctor replied. It was his voice. His infliction. It sounded exactly like him.

"You're naked!" Donna explained.

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor said again.

"Doctor, do something!" Rixel yelled out. Her head swam with pain.

The Doctor jumped towards the controls and started pulling on levers. Rixel grabbed onto the railing and tried to walk around to help him, but the Tardis was being flung around so much she didn't get very far. Somehow the Doctor managed to keep himself steady. Sure, he was thrown about a bit, but he seemed like he was grasping all the controls he needed.

There was a loud thong, and the Tardis flipped hard. Another loud sound, like a deep chime from inside a clock. Rixel could feel her insides shaking with each chime.

"The Cloister bell!" The Doctor shouted, spinning around. "Rixel, help me! Turn off the thrusters for the flux capacitor!"

She had no idea what he was talking about, but even if she did there wasn't much she could do. As Rixel tried to get to her feet, the Tardis lurched, sending her flying across the room. Her stomach collided with the railing. "I can't reach it!"

The chiming was so loud and so intense in her head, Rixel felt like she might split apart any moment. It was so...painful.

Rixel gasped and glanced down at her necklace. The Tardis rocked again, sending her flying over the railing. In mid-air, she saw the necklace glowing. It was far more intense than she'd ever seen it before. Light was creeping out from inside the locket, spilling out through the small seam.

She glanced up to see the poor Doctor running around while trying to keep his balance. A shower of sparks sprayed down around him as he flew sideways, pulling a lever as he did so. Donna was pressed up against a wall. Her hands were grasped around a metal pole to keep herself in place. She looked terrified. A small fire was burned a few feet from where she was.

The chime rang deep in Rixel's chest and she glanced down again. She was on the floor, sliding towards the wall. Her necklace burned against her chest, spilling light out into the room. She grabbed her locket with her hands, but the light continued to pour out. And that's when she realized something.

It didn't hurt anymore.

Her eyes widened and she glanced up at the Doctor. His attention was solely focused on the Tardis. It was a lost battle. The Tardis was starting to rip apart. Sparks and small fires were all over the room, and there was a giant crack along the side wall that was glowing an eerie orange.

Rixel rose to her feet. The Tardis rocked around, but for some reason it didn't throw her. She could feel gravity pressing against her, but somehow she just ignored it. She took a step forward and her balanced remained. Another step, and another, and still she remained upright. Her hair tossed around her, pulled by gravity and wind, but she remained steady.

The red headed girl walked towards the control panel. The Doctor was barely hanging on. He flipped another switch before he caught sight of Rixel. His eyes filled with sorrow as he saw her.

"I can't stop it." He said quietly. "I just can't."

"I know." Rixel replied. Her voice was drowned out by the chimes. It didn't matter. She could do this. She knew she could. Her hands, with the locket encased inside, reached out towards the control panel. Bright yellow light streamed out between her fingers.

The Doctor's eyes widened and he looked up at her. "What are you doing!?"

Rixel paused for a moment to smile at him. "I'm jumping."

"Good! Get out of here! You can save yourself!"

She laughed, then pressed the locket down onto the control panel. It seemed to be sucked inside somehow, vanishing from her hands. The light exploded all around her, blinding her. A wave of pain shocked through her system, causing her to stumbled back.

"Rixel!" The Doctor yelled.

"I can jump the Tardis!" She called out into the light. "I can save us all!"

"It doesn't work that way!"

She wanted to argue back, but even with her eyes closed the light was so bright. It was like her eyelids were glowing as well, or even her eyeballs. It didn't make any sense! The locket was on the control panel! But the light was so bright it was burning into her head. She threw her head back and cried out as the light seemed to seep out through her skin.

"Rixel!"

She could hear him, but it was faint. Still, his voice was something she could latch onto. Hearing him helped keep her from focusing only on the pain. The blinding, searing pain that burrowed into her skull. She'd never be able to see again, of that she was sure. Her skin was on fire, and she'd probably lose all sense in her nerves. She couldn't feel the ground anymore. Was she floating? Where was the Doctor?

"Doctor!"

Her voice echoed through the Tardis, like the sound of the chimes.

"Rixel, stop! Whatever you're doing, just stop! You can't do this!" His voice pleaded, but it was miles away.

The pain cracked through her body and she arched her back. There was an explosion from somewhere behind her and she heard Donna scream.

"Rixel!" The Doctor called out again.

"It's okay." Rixel said, her voice calm despite the immense torture she felt. "It's alright. I'm a phoenix."

With that, the light over took her and the Tardis erupted into a ball of flames.


	63. rise of the pheonix

**Tardis**

Rixel lifted her head. Pain still lingered inside her, but it seemed trivial now. Darkness swirled around her, holding her down on her knees. She exhaled and her breath left her in a visual smoke. She shivered, but she wasn't cold. She wasn't hot. She wasn't...anything. She knew she had fingers and toes and could move them on command, but she couldn't feel them. It was just a function she could use if she needed to.

She looked back down at herself. Though darkness swirled around her, she could see herself quite well. The jacket River gave her was torn, but not completely ruined. She could fix it. Maybe. Her mother's necklace was missing, though.

Rixel rubbed her eyes. Where was she? She felt heavy and unable to move. The darkness was too thick for her to see and she couldn't hear anything other than her own breathing.

"Doctor?" She called out. Her voice echoed back to her all too quickly. Wherever she was, it was small and no one was there with her.

Her hand rubbed at her bare neck. She'd placed the necklace on the control panel of the Tardis. It was gone, she supposed. No idea what actually happened. Last she remembered, the Doctor and Donna were in trouble. Something was wrong with the Tardis.

Rixel hissed in through her teeth as she felt a burn mark on the back of her hand. She glance down, but couldn't see anything. Had the Tardis really been destroyed? If so, what happened to the Doctor and Donna? What happened to her? Was she dead? She wasn't suppose to die. Not really, anyway. But according to who? The voices in her head? She was telling herself she wouldn't die? Does that even make sense?

"Where is she!?"

Rixel's head snapped up. That voice, it was the Doctor, she was sure of it.

"Doctor!" She called out, but her voice just echoed back to her.

"You let her!" The Doctor's voice came again, through the darkness. "You knew it would kill her and you let her!"

Rixel tried to stand, but every time she moved her foot in front, it would just go back to where it was. It was the oddest feeling, almost like a dream. No matter how she tried to move, she couldn't.

The darkness before her erupted into light. She could see the Tardis and all that was inside. Rose, Donna, the Doctor and... the Doctor? Rixel blinked. Yes, the Doctor was definitely there twice. A paradox? Inside the Tardis? Wouldn't that destroy it?!

Rose was looking all over the Tardis while Donna stood back looking solemn. The two Doctors appeared to be in a fight. One was in the Doctor's normal brown suit while the other was in blue.

"I didn't know what was happening!" The blue suit Doctor said.

Rixel looked around. She could see every tiny inch of the Tardis. Not just the control room, but all of it. It seemed wherever she looked, something was there for her to see. She could see Rose looking around down the hall, but it was more than that. She could see her room, the giant closet, even the library. If she looked closely, she could actually see every title of every book in there as well.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Rixel gasped. She glanced back at the Doctors.

"I can't find her!" Rose called back.

"Tell me what happened. Every detail!" The Doctor in the brown suit said.

"Doctor, it's not his fault. There was nothing we could have done." Donna spoke up. "The Tardis was exploding!"

The brown suited Doctor ignore her and glared at the blue suit. "Did she jump?"

The blue suited Doctor stared back without answering.

"Did she jump!?"

"Doctor!" Rixel called out.

To her surprise, the two Doctors and Donna stopped and started to glance around the room. Rixel watched as Rose ran back towards them.

"What's going on?!" Rose asked.

The brown suited Doctor took a step away from the other Doctor and looked around the room. "I don't know."

"The Cloister bell?" The blue suited Doctor said.

"It only rang once." Donna pointed out.

"What?" Rose asked, looking between the three of them.

Rixel stared at them all. Had they heard her? She decided to try her luck again. "Doctor, please! Tell me you can hear me!"

The group looked down at the control panel, then the two Doctors raced to the controls.

"Where are we going?" Rose asked.

"I didn't start it." Both Doctors and Donna said at the same time.

"Trajectory is..." The blue suited Doctor started to say.

"That's not possible." Donna said, looking over the controls. "The gap was closed."

"They ripped it open again. We'll have to close it." The brown suited Doctor said.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" Rose shouted.

Rixel sighed. Ok, so this was far too much just like the Dream Lord's adventure. He couldn't hear her, but he was hearing something. Somehow she was reacting. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"Bad Wolf Bay." The brown Doctor said slowly.

Rixel tried to get out of whatever or wherever she was, but nothing she did seemed to matter. She could feel the burn on the back of her hand, but every time she tried to move she just kept going back into place. When the group all left the Tardis, she couldn't see them anymore. Sure, the hundreds of empty rooms were still there, but not the Doctor.

"Let me out!" She shouted, slamming around as much as she could without really moving much.

There was a soft clinking sound and Rixel looked off towards the Swimming Pool. She knew the sound came from there, but whenever she tried to look, she couldn't see anything. There was another chime sound, this time from the Doctor's office. Rixel scoured the entire room, but didn't see anyone.

Then she noticed the little blue box on his desk. The box she gave Amy saying it was the Pandorica. Rixel blinked. It hadn't been there a moment ago, she was sure of it. She'd realize something like that, right?

"Over here, dear."

Rixel looked towards the purple and gold study she'd passed over before. It was a small yet elegant bedroom with a fireplace and a small desk lamp. Laying on the bed, under the dark purple velvet covers, was River.

"River!" Rixel gasped.

"I'll be coming back soon." The Bow-Tie Doctor stepped out from another room and stood at the foot of the bed. "Well, the other me."

"But until then..." River leaned forward and pulled on the Doctor's shirt. "You're here."

"River, crossing into my own time streams like this isn't very smart." The Doctor said, but he was cut off as River kissed him.

O...kay. Rixel closed her eyes. Not exactly what she wanted to see at the moment.

"Did you heard something?" The Doctor said as River pulled away from the kiss.

"Doctor." River growled in warning.

"No, I-I thought I heard something." The Doctor looked back towards the door. "River, when is this?"

River sighed and shook her head. "No, that wasn't the deal, Doctor. I said I'd take you to a key point in your history, but telling you when would only make it less ...exciting."

"River, this isn't my Tardis."

"Of course not." River leaned forward again, but the Doctor stopped her.

"Which regeneration is this?" He asked.

"Doctor." She growled again.

"River."

"Ok, please don't do anything creepy while I'm still able to hear you!" Rixel grumbled. She tried to cover her ears, but her hands always ended up down by her sides.

"Ok, that time I heard something, too." River said.

Rixel opened her eyes. The Doctor and River were both looking around the room.

"Do you think I'm back?" The Doctor asked.

River glanced down at her watch and shook her head. "No. We've still got another ten minutes."

"I should go check the control room." He frowned.

River nodded and got to her feet at the side of the bed.

Rixel watched as the bow-tie Doctor raced down the hall of the Tardis that was not his.

"I know you can hear me." River said quietly.

Rixel glanced back at the Doctor, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"And I'm begging you not to let him know it's you." River continued.

"What?" Rixel asked.

"Don't say anything, he'll hear you!" River hissed.

Rixel froze. Was she talking to her?

"River?" The Doctor called back over his shoulder.

River didn't answer him. "Please tell me this isn't..." She paused and looked down at her watch. "Oh no. I've gotten the times mixed up."

River ran to the door. "Doctor! We need to go!"

"River, there's no one here!" The Doctor called back.

"Now, Doctor!" River stepped back into the room and looked up at the ceiling. She kept her voice low. "Rixel, you knew this was going to happen. Please relax. It'll be okay. You know it will be. You told him once before, well, later for him, but you told him once that it just takes time. You'll soon realize how much more you can do now. You have the entire universe-"

"River?"

River smiled sweetly at the Doctor as he came into the room. "Ready to go, sweetie?"

"Who were you talking to?"

She smirked. "You."

"Me?"

"I was warning you that if you came back here with clothes still on I was going to knock you down 5 points."

"What?"

River took the Doctor's hand in hers, then placed a hand on her vortex manipulator. "Take care," She muttered, then pressed a button. Her and the Doctor vanished.

Rixel yelled out in frustration. She tried to kick and scream and throw her arms around but she remained as she was only a moment before. "What the hell is going on!?"

She dropped down to the ground and started to sob. Or at least she felt like she did. This was it?! This prison where she couldn't say or do anything!? This was how she died!? Rixel rubbed at her eyes. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. She was promised to be with the Doctor forever. This...this wasn't right. She felt further away from the Doctor than ever before.

Rixel took in a deep breath, fully aware she wasn't actually breathing. After taking a moment to compose herself, she began to experiment with her new surroundings.

* * *

The thing about all of time and space is how it seems to go by so quick and yet so slow. It all seemed to happen at one time. One moment she was watching the Doctor trying to teach another Time Lord how he traveled, the next he's flirting with Rose, and the next he's an old man talking with his granddaughter. Rixel learned more about him in a moment than she could ever comprehend in a lifetime, and it was all so much more than she ever imagined. He was far more complex than she could have guessed. He had a granddaughter! She didn't know much about his life before the Tardis, since that was all she could see, but through conversations and random adventures, she got to know him for who he was.

The most frustrating part was realizing he was a bit of a child sometimes. He rarely ever saw the big picture and she usually had to take control of the situation and send him to places he didn't want to go. The whole time he'd cuss her out and get mad that she would take over, but in the end she was always right. Well, most of the time. But she could never argue back!

Except for once.

For one moment, she was given a chance to argue back.

That was hard, of course. Since she'd spend a pure moment, a true moment of all of time and space, it was hard to take a moment to be just human again.

And then, like everything, the moment was gone. But it was a lovely moment. Just like all the moments with the Doctor.

Her and the Doctor. The Doctor and his Tardis. She's always with him, flying through all of time and space. In a simple moment.


	64. epilouge – a moment

When she saw him with her own eyes, her heart burst. Her mind was so filled and cluttered that she couldn't even remember his name, but she knew everything about him.

"Thief! Thief! You're my thief!" Rixel cried as she ran towards him. Her legs were much longer and more functional than she remembered. "Look at you! Goodbye! No, not goodbye, what's the other one?"

She leaned forward and kissed him. No, that wasn't the right one. That was the one for Lucas.

"Why am I a thief?" Her thief asked. Thief wasn't the right name. What was his name!? He was the one who drove her and took her through time and space and saved the little scared girl.

"Me!" She exclaimed, hoping it would point out the obvious. "You're going to steal me. No, you have stolen me. You are stealing me. Tenses are difficult, aren't they? Were they always this way?"

"Sorry about her." A smelly man behind her said. She didn't care about him, she only cared about her thief. The man. The Smithy? No, no, that was an alias. Is an alias. Will be an alias?

"Oh, you're angry. No, you will be angry. The little boxes will make you angry. But then you will be sad. Or you were sad. I make you sad." She shook her head.

"Idris, you should have a rest." The smelly man said.

"The little boxes?" The thief asked.

"A rest." She nodded, though Idris was not her name. It was the name of the body, but not her. "Yes. Off switch!"

The world blackened around her and she collapsed.

"Who are you?"

She opened her eyes to find herself in a small room with bars. What's the word? Cage? Sounds right. Yes, she was in a cage. Her thief stood on the other side of the bars. His voice sounded like sweet music to her ears. She'd heard his voice from so many different lips before, but not for a moment had she heard it with her own ears.

"You do not know me? Just because I'm in here like this?" She said, staring back at him. Rixel frowned. Why was it that words were so difficult for her now? She used to be so good at them.

"They said you were dangerous." He muttered.

"Not the cage, silly. In here." She touched her face, the face of the Idris. It felt warm under her fingers. "My hair is red. Was red. But now I'm tall and not what I was." She stood up and reached her hand out towards him, but he pulled away. "You know me. That name, what was it? We travel and for a moment I was a little girl and then for a moment I was the box of blue."

"The Tardis?" He asked.

"Time and relative dimension in space." She nodded. "Susan named it. Me. Will name it."

"You're crazy." He said.

She lowered her hand. "No. I have that other name. The young one. Type 40 Tardis. A museum piece in the darkness. You said ' What would I do without you, Rixel.' Wait no, wrong time. That was-"

"How do you know that name?" The thief took a step back.

"You're the... the ...man of science and medicine. Oh! My Doctor! You're the bow-tie doctor!"

"How do you know that name?!" He asked again, more forcefully.

Rixel blinked at him. "Bow-tie Doctor?"

"No." He growled and looked away. "Rixel."

"Oh yes! My name!" She clapped.

"No." He snapped his head back to her with a glare.

"Yes!" She continued with an odd sort of glee in her voice. "I am the blue box and Rixel. And we travel. Will travel. Have traveled. I save the world with science once."

He stared at her with his jaw slightly open. "You...you can't be."

"I can. I am physically here. Though only for a moment." Rixel stated.

"The Tardis?" He whispered.

She nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

"R-Rixel?"

"Yes. And the phoenix, but I haven't used that name in a moment. Oh, this is the moment where you get sad, isn't it?"

The Doctor fell to his knees and stared at the ground in front of him. Rixel knelt down as well on her side of the bars.

"There is no reason to be sad. I am always with you."

"I thought you died."

"No you didn't." She corrected him. "I told you the dream of Roses."

"What?"

"I am always with you."

"No." He shook his head and stepped back. "You're not her."

"Whether you believe it is irrelevant. Can you let me out now?"

The Doctor glared at her for a moment, then pulled his sonic screwdriver out. It buzzed, and the lock clicked open.

"You look nothing like her."

"Of course not." Rixel shook her head. "My body was destroyed in the explosion. This is the one from House."

"But...how?" The Doctor asked.

"House made me like this." She replied. "But it only lasts a moment."

"What?"

"Doctor!" Rixel leaned forward and grabbed the sides of his face. A strange sensation ran through her finger tips. His face was warm and she was reminded of all the times she spent with him as a human. She could easily picture him in Pennsylvania and prancing through the Tardis with Rose and seeing him for the first time at the Academy.

His eyes widened as he stared back at her. Fear flashed across his face and then he started to relax. "Rixel?"

She nodded.

He leaned forward and hugged her so tight she felt the breath in her lungs escape.

"Doctor, wait." Rixel said.

"I won't let you go this time." He said. "I promise."

"You do, but that's not the point." She said. "I need to tell you something before the moment is over."

"No." His voice cracked. "No, I won't let it be over."

"Doctor, it's not your fault what happened. I am fine." She said. "Please listen? Before the moment is over."

Slowly, he pushed back to look into her eyes again. His face was reddened and he looked over her frantically. His hands clasped onto her shoulders as tight as he could manage.

"Doctor." Rixel said with a smile. "I am always with you."

THE END


End file.
